The Mission
by dooski
Summary: This is def. a MaxAlec one, starts out with Zack as she searches for her siblings. She meets Alec, and both notice a connection. What is it, and what of Alec's haunting dreams of his past? MA pairing
1. The Mission

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own these characters at all.  
**Genre: **action/adventure, suspense, romance  
**Pairings: **there's multiple pairings throughout. It will eventually be a Max/Alec fic, but it starts very canon  
**Rating: **T  
**Setting: **this follows the show with my own changes throughout; it opens in the middle of the 1st season, but with pieces of the finale thrown in. Alec is not present at the very beginning, but I assure you, he will appear shortly!

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**Chapter 1: The Mission**

Max couldn't stop herself from pacing back and forth, like a father waiting around in a maternity ward. She couldn't help being anxious and she didn't have any other options to release her pent up tensions and frustrations. The moment ahead was going to be awkward at the very least.

She had gone over the plan in her head so many times that by now she could probably execute it in her sleep. Max was normally very confident when going into action like this, but there was a different factor here that she hadn't received any training in at Manticore. Soldiers weren't taught how to deal with emotions or what to do when you think you're in love with someone. Love was definitely not part of their lessons.

It would have been great if it had been. He'd always been the perfect soldier, learning well from his upbringing. If he'd been instructed on what it meant to love, this all would be natural, and nothing to worry about.

Max wasn't the one harboring confusing desires; at least, that's what she kept telling herself. But the last time she had seen the man, he'd been completely enwrapped with her. _He said that he loved me._ Max thought to herself.

She hated herself for it. Even though she'd done nothing to encourage it, Max felt the guilt shake her core, racking her mind with the responsibility that she'd never asked for. He had been like a brother to her, and she knew that he loved her more than anyone he'd ever met or ever would.

They'd been forced to plan the meeting well in advance, with the number of people hunting both of them, and besides, everyone thought he was dead. It was important for both their safety to keep people believing that.

The area was secure, Logan had seen to that. Even if it wasn't, Max herself had just finished checking the area for the 3rd time to ensure that no one was watching. If anyone could detect a spy from far away, it was Max with her special abilities, or rather, 'enhanced' abilities. Her hearing and sight was beyond that of normal people, an enhancement that she used to her advantage to be certain that no one else was around. She trusted her instincts more than anything, and they were telling her that she was safe.

But her anxiety didn't lay in something primal, like the will to survive. She had no doubt that the meeting wouldn't jeopardize her chances of making it to tomorrow. It was that other, unexplored emotion that was causing the blood within her to tighten at the uncertainty and responsibility that came with it- the mysterious emotion of love.

If Manticore had meant for them to love, they would have planted it in their genetic encoding, along with every other emotion, and then trained them until they could practice it with their eyes closed and their hands tied behind their back like all of their other skills.

But the fact was, a soldier wasn't meant to love. And so her soldier's heart told her to beware of the unknown and unexplained that she had the strong possibility of facing soon.

To be nervous was unfamiliar to her on its own, without being complicated with other confusing emotions. Max was normally steadfast, and though living in constant worry of being captured, she never allowed her fears to overtake her like this.

Max stopped pacing and took a moment to try and calm down by focusing on the wind. With her enhanced senses, her focus was far more intense than anyone else's could be.

Her long, brown hair flowed freely in the gentle breeze as she concentrated on the rush it gave her to move with the wind.

The simple attempt to regain her focus worked; Max felt a feeling of peace settle over her. She'd never been one for nature, probably because the world wasn't as bright as it had once been. She lived in a pretty desolate area, as far as natural beauty is concerned. Not many plants lit the ground with their rainbow of colors; trees to offer shade with their extended branches were scarce. To put it simply, there wasn't much life growing around, and there weren't any remaining sight-seeing spots of old where you could sit on a beautiful, wooden park bench, enjoy the sounds of chirping as you fed the birds, and let your eyes dance with a pleasant view of all the life around you. No, ever since the Pulse the more accurate description would be sitting on a bench defiled with graffiti and listening to the fights of people in the street. Forget about having seeds to give to the birds, people barely had enough food to fill their own growling bellies. And the only sight dancing in front of her eyes was usually a poorly dressed hooker, claiming a corner as she tried to earn enough money to make ends meet.

Not to say the world had gone to hell, although some people liked to think that. They called it a depression, sure, their technical and robotic way of describing the economic crisis. But that was the funny thing- no one seemed too depressed.

Sure, it wasn't picture-worthy, but it was enough to bring a smile to Max's face, at least. She enjoyed the wind and the view of the clean water, fresh and dancing with ripples as the wind tickled the surface.

The meeting required a very secluded area, and here at the waterfront was the perfect spot; not many people ever came by.

Max decided to put on her game face- her Manticore mask, to be specific; a blank face empty of emotion that was unreadable. Even though he deserved to know what he meant to her, she wouldn't show him. She couldn't. It wouldn't be what he wanted, anyway. He would surely be looking for the answer to his own feelings and choices- love. There were times when Max wished with every part of her that she could offer him her love and hear heart. But she knew, deep down, that all she could offer him was her guilt and sadness.

"Max."

The familiar voice came at her like the whispering of a ghost, making her blood run cold as the vibration raced from her ears to her heart. She spun around immediately and all her planning went out the window. She couldn't remember what she was supposed to say, what she was supposed to reveal, what the purpose was in meeting at all. All that she could think about was how much she'd missed the simple sight of him just standing in front of her.

She stared at him, her brown eyes swimming with sadness but also lit with hope. "Zack," she greeted softly, breathing the name that had so many memories attached to it.

Her eyes poured into him as she studied his face and body. He still looked incredibly strong, like the soldier he'd always been, in charge and proper, right down to his straight posture. She noticed that his blond hair hung around his chiseled face just like always, and then her stare was back into his eyes again.

The green pools were lit with recognition as they locked with hers. What was he thinking right then? Was he taking himself back to the last time they'd laid eyes on each other?

Max found she could no longer contain herself. Though she had told herself not to, for fear he would get the wrong impression, she threw her arms around him. "Zack, I'm so glad you're here. It's been so lonely here! I ran into a couple other X5s, but they were still completely with Manticore, I couldn't convince them to leave. I've been trying to reach everyone, find the others." She then paused as she took a second to smile at him. "I'm so glad you're here," she repeated.

Max tried to hug him, but it was difficult, not like the brother she remembered. He would not return her embrace. He felt so tense underneath her arms… It was like they were wrapped around a stony statue instead of someone so close to her. She'd seen the recognition, but it seemed that even though he knew who she was, she may as well be a stranger to him.

Max pulled away, hurt and confused by his lack of a reaction. Why wasn't he saying anything? He'd said her name… that meant he remembered everything, right? Max certainly remembered.

The moment flashed before her eyes right then. She saw a slightly younger Zack in front of her, much more talkative, though still pretty quiet, his face full of emotion that he felt safe to reveal since it was just the two of them. He just wanted to protect her… No, he wanted more… He wanted to love her.

At the time, Max hadn't known what to do. She still didn't, really. Especially now, looking at him, when he seemed like a cold, distant version of the man he once was.

"Zack, what's going on? What have you been up to?" she dared to ask. Max was dying for some answers, anything other than more questions. Though a few minutes ago she kept telling herself she would be fine not knowing what happened, she couldn't deny it now, her heart was constricted with a desire, a _need, _to know everything, no matter how difficult it would be to hear.

He looked around like a lost, young soldier, assessing his surroundings and attempting to make sense of the place. Finally, his stare came back to her. "You did your job well, 452. This area is acceptable."

Max stared at him in disbelief, a lump forming in her throat as the delayed sentence hit her ears. Had she really just heard him say that? "452?" she repeated in shock, "It's Max, Zack, it's me, Max. You just said so a moment ago."

Max's eyes searched him over and over, desperate for a sign of emotion or another memory, something of the old Zack. And then her horrible guilt returned. What had happened to him?

It was all her fault, whatever had changed him.

Max could only watch as Zack knelt down on the ground, and stared at her with a child's eyes. "Max." he repeated, just as he'd said earlier. He stared all about her, his eyes following every inch of her skin, moving from her face to the appreciative curves of her body, looking like he was remembering. Then his stare returned to her eyes as his locked into the brown pools. "Max. The mission is over, I've found you. You were the mission. I had to find Max."

Max's eyes burned with tears that his words gave her, but she held them tightly within. She needed to be strong right now and figure out what Zack needed. "That's great, Zack," Max replied encouragingly, a hand reaching up to graze his cheek, "You did great! You completed your mission!"

Zack finally responded to her touch. His face turned toward her hand and closed his eyes. He took a moment to let the intimate contact sink in.

After a moment, he looked up, an emotion finally lighting his face- relief. "My mission is complete."

Max didn't want Zack to hurt anymore right now, but she had to be sure that he was really himself again and held all of his old memories, even the painful ones. "Zack," she questioned, "Do you remember what happened to you? Do you remember what happened between us before you left? Do you know whatever happened after that?"

Zack turned around slowly, ignoring her questions for a moment as he noticed the cottage. They had planned this. In getting there, it had been necessary for Zack to constantly be on the move. He hadn't slept for eight days in planning this meeting, not willing his own limitations to ruin the mission. He'd stayed awake and alert, holding onto the weak feeling of hope that he would make it.

But now, he was exhausted and needed to rest. He could finally rest. He could finally stop fighting, stop running.

He turned again to Max. He couldn't even remember why he needed to see her. All he knew was the mission. She was the mission.

Max stroked his cheek again, trying to comfort him, and trying to get him to open up, if he could.

And with her touch, he knew his answer. He knew why Max was the mission. He cracked a light smile. It felt strange on his face. He couldn't place the last time one had been there.

Max, too smiled. Her smile was beautiful. The more he stared into her gorgeous brown eyes, the more he knew why she was the mission. She was Max. She was everything.

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**a/n:** Updated 4-9-07 so that it (hopefully!) reads better. This was my first fic ever, and… well you can tell with the original version! So now that I've had more practice, I edited it to bring it up to my current writing style. I was going to just delete it altogether, but I couldn't part with it, so I decided to try and save it instead! Let me know what you think! I would love you if you drop me a review! 


	2. Peaceful Sleep

**DISCLAIMER: again, i don't own these characters **

still Max/Zack-ish for now. But if you read the summary, you'll know it's not going to be like that for much longer!

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Chapter 2: Peaceful Sleep

Max felt some relief come over her as her eyes reflected his smile. It was an action that was rare even for the old Zack, something that made it mean that much more whenever the sight graced his face, as it was right then. It gave her a warm sense of comfort, knowing that he at least still knew what it was to smile.

Max didn't want to press him any further, but she couldn't stop herself from staring intently into his eyes with a look of expectation as she awaited some sort of answer.

Zack unfortunately didn't answer her anxiety, and instead turned to start walking in the direction of the cottage. "I think I'm gonna take a shower, and then get some rest. Keep watch for me, will you?"

Max nodded, "Of course." She paused for a moment to keep her frustrations hidden. He deserved some rest, certainly. But she couldn't help feeling disappointment that he hadn't answered her question. It seemed after all their waiting, she would have to wait longer still to find her answers.

It was like he could hear her inner thoughts and read her face without looking. As he was walking toward the cottage, Zack turned back for a moment to stare at her and assess the woman that she was. A light grin came onto his face as he admired her figure and spirit. "We can talk tomorrow," he offered before turning his view again to his destination.

As he disappeared into the cottage, Max had a moment to gather her thoughts. If only she could put a name on them. Everything was disarray in her mind, a mixture of pleasure and sadness at seeing him again, distance and intimacy, hope and despair. Max wasn't quite sure what to think or where to begin. He didn't seem to remember everything, or else, he was working hard to ignore it all.

Thankfully, her thoughts were interrupted by the sudden ringing of her cell phone. Max looked up at the hovering satellite nearby, giving her signal in this remote area. Logan had it specially designed so it could not be detected, or traceable. It was expensive, but then again, money wasn't really an issue with Logan. He'd insisted on her bringing it, as they both knew she could be in the middle of nowhere for anywhere from a few days to a couple of weeks.

"Hey," she answered with a light grin.

"Hey yourself," came the low voice on the other end. She could almost hear him smiling. He couldn't help but be happy when he was talking to her. "Max," he said, his voice letting on concern, "How is he?"

Max sighed, "I really don't know. I mean, he seems okay. He's strong, in good shape, you know. But he's rather… standoffish right now about everything. We haven't gotten to talking about where he's been this whole time."

Logan laughed lightly, and made a comment to ease her tension and worries. "Well, he's never been the most open guy," he joked casually.

Max returned the light comment with a smile that made her voice sound happier as she answered. "No…," she admitted. "But he's never been so silent around _me_." That was when she realized. The unknown bothered her, of course, all of the questions that needed answers. But she was also troubled that he was acting so distant from her, barely accepting an embrace.

"He's probably still adjusting," Logan offered an explanation. "Which won't take him long. I hear he's got pretty good genes."

Max let out a laugh, but it felt empty. Logan was great, as always, but he couldn't shake the worry completely. "I just wish I knew more about what he's been through."

"I wish I could say I had something for you, but we were lucky as it is to just find out how we could reach him. I never was able to get any information on where he's been or any other specifics. All I know is that he's been moving, and a lot! I chased that signal for 3 weeks, and kept losing the trace just when I was getting close."

_Typical_, Max thought to herself, not sure if she should be happy or not with the news. _Always the clever soldier_. Zack was the one who always told them how important it was to keep moving, never get attached to any place- or any one, for that matter. She and Logan had gotten a lucky break finding him at all. Max shuddered silently as she recalled some of her worst points throughout the search. There had even been a time when part of her thought he was dead.

"It's cool," Max finally answered. "Right now we're fine."

"Well, I'll give you guys some space. I know how tough family can be."

Max laughed slightly, "We have this whole island to ourselves, I really don't think any more space is needed right now."

Logan returned with a lighthearted tone, "Okay, I guess you're right about that. But I'm still gonna let you go for a couple days. If I find out anything more, I'll give you a call, okay. Ring me up if anything changes."

Max smiled, "If I can remember your number." She of course had a better memory than almost anyone, but that wouldn't stop her from teasing Logan a little bit. She could always count on him to give her the strength to smile in spite of her troubles.

"Seriously, Max. Good luck. I'll be in touch."

He was always so serious! Max pocketed her phone and took a moment to scope the island again and make sure no one was going to interrupt their private getaway. After a few scans with her enhanced vision, Max had her answer, and sure enough, they still were alone on the little island.

Max decided to check on Zack next. She made sure to be very quiet, like only a transgenic could be, as she entered the cottage. She wandered inside until she saw his sleeping form. His body was sprawled carelessly on the bed.

His steady scent danced in the air around her, and Max knew he must have taken a quick shower before making his way to the bed. It looked like he'd collapsed as soon as his feet had brought him to the mattress. He hadn't even taken the time to wrap himself with covers. They came loosely over his lower half, but it didn't look like he'd made any effort to use them. And his hair was still wet from the shower.

Max couldn't help smiling at the sight. She'd never seen him so vulnerable before. He'd never allowed himself to be without full alert around anyone. Even in his most intimate moments, he still managed to keep a cover up, something Max had always scolded him about, being too much soldier and not enough free man.

He was certainly a soldier first and foremost. But as his eyes were held shut and his chest rose and fell with the steady, peaceful rhythm of sleep, he looked more relaxed than she thought possible. Finally, he could enjoy a moment of true peace.

But then Max's sights took in more than his beating chest. She noticed something that made her heart constrict. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and the thin cover that barely came to his abdomen left his chest completely visible, every single aspect of it, the defined ripples of his muscle, and the scar that brought a knowing sting to her heart.

Max crept toward him, and laid down next to him, careful to be silent in the action. Her brown eyes were like saucers as she studied him while he slept. She stared intently at the deepest scar on his chest. _That was for me_, she thought sadly, a guilt creeping over her again.

Zack had suffered so much. He deserved to feel happy. He deserved to feel comfort. But nothing seemed to make him feel that way. He was always so defined by his childhood, always the soldier, never leaving room for emotions, a sign that to him indicated the worst example of weakness.

Except when it came to Max.

She absently put her hand to his chest as she could only imagine what it must have felt like Her thoughts raced with her heart as her fingers grazed his scar. She slowly and gently traced her hand along it.

He woke up with a start and grabbed her hand gently, all in one immediate action, which startled Max and brought her out of her wandering thoughts.

The pair was briefly frozen as each gathered their thoughts. It was difficult to think, given how close they were and what had just happened. Max looked like a child who'd just been caught. The only action she seemed able to let out was to stare out of shock. Zack returned the awkward look with one of his own, unable to do anything more than stare back.

Max finally found her muscles obeying her again, and she attempted to move her hand away from his body, but Zack held it in place, his silent way of asking her not to stop the comforting motion that sent an electricity racing through him.

Max blinked once before trying to save face. "I'll get up, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to wake you…," she started, but Zack didn't let go, holding her hand firmly, but gently, in place. "No, Max. Stay. I know you checked the area. I trust you. We can both rest."

Max found herself unable to deny the quiet conviction in his voice. _He's asking me to stay. _Zack never asked anyone for anything. There was no way that she could say no to the vulnerable request.

Max moved her hand around his back, and traced circles onto his bare skin in a comforting action. She rubbed his back gently in an effort to draw him back to the sleep that she'd interrupted. "Okay," she whispered softly with a smile.

Max knew that she probably wasn't going to get any sleep. She had shark DNA, and didn't need to rejuvenate herself as often as the rest of the transgenics. But resting for Zack was the least she could do if that was what he wanted. _It's the _very _least I can do_, she thought, remembering all that he'd done for her.

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When Zack opened his eyes to Max, he couldn't move. He didn't want her to move, either. He only wanted that simple moment to go on forever. He really did trust her with his entire being. She was the only person that he trusted. She was the only person he would take so many risks for, if only to light his eyes with the sight of her one more time. She was the only person he would die for.

When she touched his scar, it was like he could feel it happening all over again. He felt all the pain rush back to him. Not the pain of the bullet as it punctured his skin, sending a hole gaping through him, or the nightmares that warped his mind, sending him into near shock at the distorted images that the foreign liquid induced as it was implanted into his bloodstream through a shot from PsyOps.

As excruciating as those experiences had been for him, nothing hurt like the pain felt in losing Max, just the thought of it. In that moment, when he'd realized that Max could be lost to him forever, he offered himself.

His regard for Max went outside of the rationale of a good soldier. His love for her was more powerful than the will to survive. He'd known in that moment when he saw her life flash before his eyes that his was not worth living in a world that knew her absence.

He still knew, as her form lay beside his, that he couldn't live without the hope of seeing those brown eyes full of life, or the dream, of having her laying right there beside him.

But it wasn't a dream today, as his eyes rested upon her in front of him. The knowledge made his heart swell. He couldn't recall a time when he'd felt more complete.

He stared at her one last time, taking it in with every one of his senses, just how gorgeous she was, the intoxicating scent that he'd held in memory and was now colliding with his own. But mostly, as he felt his every heartbeat while he stared at her, he realized again just how much he cared for her. This woman truly was his everything.

When he didn't have the energy to revel in the moment any longer, he surrendered to his exhaustion and rolled over to succumb to sleep once more. His eyes fluttered shut as he allowed peace to settle over his bones again, feeling safe and comfortable for the first time in two years.

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**a/n**: This chapter was updated 4-10-07! hope you find it improved and more enjoyable now. As always, thanks for reading, and any thoughts are much appreciated! 


	3. Back to Business

**DISCLAIMER: **I still don't own these characters!

thanks to everyone for your kind feedback!  
-More getting comfortable with the characters and their personalities... start of a plot...Zack getting back to his old self

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**Chapter 3: Back to Business**

When Zack woke up the next day, he felt better than he had in a long time. He was clean, refreshed, and most importantly, at peace.

He'd expected to have a restless sleep, tossing and turning, and continually waking throughout the night as his memories attacked his mind while his guard was down.

But having Max so close to him throughout his sleep had put his mind at ease, despite the nightmares that could otherwise torment his mind.

Zack turned to say words he'd only dreamt of saying as of late to her, something to catch her off guard, along the lines of "good morning, beautiful." His handsome face had a boyish grin as he turned to greet her, but the smile soon faded from his face as he realized that Max wasn't there. He couldn't say that he was surprised; she didn't sleep like the other X5s; Max had different DNA, and so she only slept once in a while.

He didn't mind too much that she wasn't there. She was probably outside, getting some fresh air. Zack took the moment to inhale the air cascading around him, the pleasant scent of Max that wasn't just a memory this time. He loved the scent of Max, just as he loved every part of the woman. He loved more that he was waking up to her unique scent. He pictured Max in his mind, the image bringing a deeper smile to his face. He saw her as she'd been the night before: stunning in her beauty, admirable in her strength, and entirely his as she lay next to him. He had wanted to kiss her then, revel in the thought of waking to her beautiful face, hold her close to him and stroke her delicate frame, caress her until morning.

But there would be time for that later. He had Max to himself for at least the next few days. No running from Manticore, no trying to blend into their surroundings. For now, it ws just he and Max, and he couldn't ask for anything more.

"Good morning, Max," Zack greeted with a smile as he heard the creak of the door opening. He stood up to face the door, but the smile completely vanished from his face when he his hazel eyes rose to meet the man standing there. His memory was back in full force, including his recollection of the botched job the man had done during their last mission, the one that had forced Zack's greatest sacrifice in order to keep Max alive.

"It _is_ a good morning!" Logan chimed politely. He stood in the doorway, his face lit in an awkward smile, looking downright cheerful. When Zack didn't respond, Logan tried again, "You know, you really should step outside, it is beautiful right now!"

Zack didn't care about the sunshine right then. As always, he had no desire to regard the man at all. "Where's Max?" he asked impatiently, his voice low and demanding.

Logan smiled again in response. "Zack, aren't you happy to see me? I'm happy to see you! You look great!"

Zack wasn't amused by the man's joyous greeting that Zack could see right through. Logan was no more happy to see Zack than Zack him.

Logan had always been annoying, with his meddling and unfaltering grip on Max's life. He was never to the point when he should be. He liked to give orders out, but took his time explaining the details, making sure to keep himself in on the action of the plan even though he did nothing to contribute other than staring at a map a safe distance away with his digital tools. The self-proclaimed 'Eyes Only' was one of the few remaining aristocrats by day, underground cyber journalist by night. He knew far too much about the X5s as far as Zack was concerned. He had a carefully organized file on every one of them. Zack wondered at times if Logan knew more about the soldiers than Zack himself did.

He'd pursued Max after one of her more foolish decisions, one that ended up having more repercussions than just catching the eye of Logan Cale and failing an attempted heist. He'd tracked her down without pause, found out her secrets behind her back, and used them as bait to goad her into joining him on his endless crusades to save the post Pulse world.

Needless to say, Zack didn't like Logan very much, and more importantly, he didn't trust him. He knew the man meant well, but unfortunately that wouldn't prevent his human mistakes from jeopardizing their safety- as he already had countless times with Max. As much as Zack trusted Max, he knew that she allowed her heart to rule her mind at times when it shouldn't. Zack admired her spirit, but he knew it made her more susceptible to manipulation, especially coming from someone who offered her a path to the 'normal life' that she'd so long sought for.

Logan had always been kind of a smart ass when it came to Zack, barely managing to keep his emotions in check when dealing with the blunt X5. Max had a bond with Zack that Logan would never be able to break or become a part of, the unity that had formed in childhood and the similarities that were so rare to find for her. The man was obvious in his feigned acceptance and even approval of Zack. You didn't need to be an X5 trained in seeing past a human façade to know that regardless of the stuffy smiles, the man didn't like Zack.

Only adding to Zack's disdain was the unexplainable and irrational attachment that Max had to the Ordinary. He'd done nothing to deserve her devotion, but for some reason, Max seemed to take a personal liking to Logan in a way that Zack only dreamed of. Worse even than this was her unquestionable trust in the man even though he could never truly have her back, being just a normal human. Computer maps could only get you so far in a dangerous situation. To be exact, they got you to the door. Everything else was down to instinct, training, and skills. All of which, Logan was lacking in and had no way to improve upon.

Zack finished gathering his thoughts about Logan and brought himself back to the situation. Logan was standing in the doorway where Max ought to be, a wide grin set underneath the spectacles. He was, as usual, an unnecessary addition to their mission.

Zack didn't much care why he was there. He could guess, anyway. Logan's incessant need to be around Max had brought him here to invade her life again.

"Where's Max?" Zack repeated. He wasn't going to ask again.

Logan nodded as he took in the X5's demanding stare and words. He knew that he wouldn't be able to stall much longer. Logan wasn't keen on the situation, either; he certainly didn't _enjoy_ being alone with Zack, probably because the X5 rubbed him the wrong way. Logan couldn't help his distant feelings toward the genetically engineered killing machine; Zack had always treated Logan like he was insignificant, only acknowledging his existence when he absolutely had to, even when Max was around.

Logan couldn't help being sketchy with Zack. The guy was just irritating! He popped up randomly after months even of being AWOL, usually at the worst times, with no concern whatsoever for whatever he was interrupting, no matter how important. He usually stomped in, not bothering to announce himself, and so waited rather creepily in the shadows until he was noticed; and once he was noticed, he would demand Max's full attention and cooperation with whatever the plan was for the day, with no explanation for where he'd been all this time, how long he planned to stay, or any sort of regard for the danger he was about to bring Max into.

Only adding to Logan's dislike of the stony soldier was the unexplainable devotion that Max had for him. For whatever reason that Logan could never see the logic in, Max always obliged to her brother's requests without question. Worse even than this was the amount of trust she placed in the risky soldier. It seemed she trusted him, even with his lack of explanation, more than Logan, a fact that bothered him in ways he couldn't even begin to express.

Logan stared at the hard set of eyes leering at him and knew he had to offer him something. There was no telling what Zack would do otherwise. Surely, he would get his information, whether Logan cooperated or not.

"I needed her to do something for me," Logan explained, "So we traded for a bit. I'm here to help keep watch, help keep you safe."

Zack made a muffled grunt as his only response before shoving past Logan without making eye contact.

"We don't _need_ you to keep safe," Zack growled condescendingly as he walked away. _Even if we did, you'd be worthless_, Zack thought to himself in irritation. Again, Logan made the mistake of equating himself on the same level as the transgenics. Zack shook his head as he tried to keep his anger to himself.

And why had Max asked him to come? Did she really think that was what she was doing with Zack? Babysitting the poor, weakened soldier until he regained his strength again?

Zack tried not to focus his frustration on thoughts of Max. It was Logan, after all. If he hadn't had the nerve to bother Max with another one of his silly Eyes Only escapades, Max would be there and Zack wouldn't be filling to his brim with fury.

_I needed her to do something for me_, Zack heard Logan's voice in his mind, shaking his head in disgust. Logan treated Max like his personal assistant, a regular day whipping boy. The woman he supposedly loved, and he was giving her assignments like some underling. He dropped in with his pointless missions whenever he pleased, and why was it that she always listened? If Zack could only get one thing through to Max it would be that the guy was no good. He only weighed her down, and he didn't even treat her right.

Zack tried to separate his pain from Logan's faults. The fact was, waking up to the sight of Logan instead of Max brought a sting with it that she would never know. She hadn't even bothered to say goodbye before running off to do whatever Logan wanted this time.

Zack wanted to hate Logan; it would certainly be easier that way. But as annoying and foolish the man could be, he did try to be helpful whenever possible. Zack didn't want to admit it, but he had to; if not for Logan, Zack would never have seen Max last night.

Zack had been in a terrible place, mentally locked down with no hope of coming back. He'd spent countless nights, troubled by recurring dreams of Max, unable to place her name, or her attachment to him, until he'd seen her face.

Zack had known at her familiar touch. When she'd traced the scar, the choice he'd made for her. In that instant, he'd remembered everything.

_But I didn't know that was the only time we'd get_, Zack thought with a sigh, upset that he hadn't known beforehand that he would only spend a few short hours with Max. His heart longed for much more, but it seemed something always got in the way. This time, the intrusion had a name- Logan.

Zack rolled his eyes at his thoughts and kept on walking. He wasn't quite sure where he was headed, but without Max, he saw no point in staying on the island that was dead to him now.

"Come on, Zack, where are you going?" Logan called after him.

But Zack kept walking, leaving Logan standing alone in the cottage doorway.

Logan sighed in defeat. He couldn't make Zack stay. He knew Zack would be safe anyway, being an X5, and he was smart. Not to mention, he was now fully rejuvenated after a good night's sleep. He'd probably regained most of his strength in the rest. Logan had no doubt that he would be fine, at least for a few days.

Logan's only regret was that he hadn't opened up. It really was unfair, the way Zack kept his knowledge to himself. There was a good chance that in Zack's absence from Seattle, he'd run into a couple other X5s, or maybe even Lydecker and his team. Anything he could have told Max would have been helpful.

That was what Max and Logan had been working on for the past few months- trying to gather information as to her family's whereabouts and what they were facing.

_We are facing it_, Logan thought, _together_. Max didn't want Logan to get wrapped up in her problems, as she called the situation, but he couldn't help it. He cared about her too much to watch her so troubled and stressed and do nothing. He wanted to find her family for her, if only to give her some peace of mind.

Logan did a quick walkthrough of the cottage to make sure it was clean. Should someone stumble upon the place, or worse, follow some sort of lead that an X5 had been there, they needed to find nothing, for everyone's safety.

Logan smiled sarcastically as he quickly found there was no need to look. He wondered why he'd even worried for a second. Of course Zack had already cleared the place. He'd managed to remove any slight trace that anyone had been there, least of all an X5. He was completely set in his soldier mindset; even when "resting" he was careful to watch his own back.

Logan had known that Zack would probably leave as soon as he discovered Max was gone. Logan did feel a bit guilty. He knew that he could have waited a couple days before giving Max the information. All signs indicated that the X5 he'd sent her after would hang around for a while longer.

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**a/n: **updated 4-10-07. Thanks for reading! 


	4. A Stupid Mistake

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters**

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**Chapter 4: A Stupid Mistake**

It felt good to be on her baby again. Max loved her motorcycle rides. She felt free as a bird while speeding through the streets atop her Ninja, blurring by the rest of the world. It was like a chase with her; maybe if she sped fast enough, she'd really be able to leave it all behind.

Racing from street to street normally brought a smile to her face with the thrill and the way it made her forget about all her problems. This time, she was especially excited, not only because of the freedom she was feeling but also because of her destination.

Logan had heard from a fairly reliable source that an X5 was in the next sector over. Who would have thought that another X5 was so close!

By now, Max was riding against the night, which was fine by her. She preferred a darker scene for work like this. The sun was completely set, as it had taken Max all day to get back from her isolated location with Zack.

Max felt a slight pang of guilt knowing that she'd left him there, but she knew that Logan would be looking after him, a thought that eased her mind temporarily. Besides, just seeing that Zack was safe was enough for her, and right now, she needed to focus on finding someone else.

Max wondered who she was about to meet. Would it would be another guy? Maybe a female this time! She could always use some more girl power!

Logan's sources indicated it was a male, but Max found herself hoping for the possibility of a girl with short hair.

Max breezed past the border watchdogs, aka the sector police, with her JamPony pass. It was like an all access card she could flash to get her by, no questions asked. It was required for the job that Max hoped she would still have in the morning. She'd bailed the place at the last minute, and had been gone for 2 days straight now without an excuse. She'd have to think of one later.

Right now she couldn't be bothered with work or thoughts of her annoying boss. Now was the time for her to be quiet. Max knew the general area to look in, but it was still fairly large, and she couldn't afford to be seen. She scanned the area, moving around for about half an hour, disappointment filling her at finding nothing. _Ugh! Logan, come on, I thought this was the place!_ she thought to herself in frustration. She should have found something by now. Things were starting to look pretty suspicious. Something about the plan suddenly didn't feel right.

That was when she spotted it, finally! A figure below was moving incredibly fast, and it looked like there was a bar-code on her neck! _Her_ neck- it was definitely a girl, with long hair though. Max was lucky to spot her bar-code at all; at just the right moment when the girl moved, her hair had brushed aside just long enough for Max to see it. But Max hadn't gotten enough time to read it; it was only a glimpse.

"Hey!" Max complained to herself out loud. The girl was leaving it seemed, and fast. Max ran to catch up with her. Keeping an eye on her was difficult; she kept ducking around buildings, in between objects to block Max's view. It was clear she didn't want to be seen. _Too bad_, Max thought with a smirk, _I found you and I'm gonna talk to you._

Determined, Max chased her down until thankfully the girl finally stopped! Max was relieved, until she realized they were in an alley- not exactly a place one would think to run to, since there's nowhere to go. Escape and evade was an instinct with every X5, something ingrained into their head, whether by DNA or their restless training and lectures, Max wasn't sure, but she did know that following an X5 into an alley with little chance for escape wasn't so normal. The hairs on the back of Max's neck rose as worry chased through her. She had to keep her guard up, this was turning out to be very fishy.

Max stayed hidden, trying to keep perfectly still and quiet as she watched the girl in secrecy. Max could only stare as the girl turned around slowly, her eyes facing the exact spot that Max was hiding in. It wasn't a coincidence; the dark gaze was too deliberate in its focus to allow Max the hope of remaining unseen.

_Shit_, Max thought as she took in the glance, _she must have seen me!_ Max wasn't going to bite, though. She stayed glued in place, praying for something to distract the girl long enough for Max to withdraw safely.

"Come out, it's okay," the girl said, her speech clearly directed at Max.

Max frowned while her expression was still hidden. _I guess the gig is up, _she thought to herself, rolling her eyes. After a moment, Max made her move. She was caught anyway, there was no use in clinging to the wall any longer.

Max stepped into what little light the alley offered, a confident smirk set on her face. "Hey!" she greeted as though there was nothing at all strange about someone finding her hiding in an alley. "What's up. You know, I really liked your jacket, I admit I was gonna just take it, but I guess since you saw me, it's cool, we can call it a deal, and I'll just be on my way!" She smiled hoping everything would be fine.

_Here it is, _Max realized- the moment. It was now or never, as most were. She had the opportunity to leave right then.

So why was she hesitating?

Max couldn't bring herself to leave, no matter how badly her instincts were telling her to bolt. She had come all this way and the girl was right in front of her! Max wanted to see the bar-code again. The unknown identity was filling Max with a burning curiosity that held her firmly in place until it could be answered. Who was she? Max didn't recognize her. Her age indicated she was X5… but wouldn't Max remember her if that were true? Maybe she wasn't an X5 after all… Maybe an X4?

While Max was distracted in an attempt to figure out what was going on and who she was, the girl immediately whipped out a stun gun, her actions so fast that Max had no time to get into a defense position. Before Max realized what was happening, a ray of electricity coursed through her, forcing her into a muscle spasm.

Max convulsed before immediately falling to the ground in a slump. Being an X5, it didn't knock her out; she was still conscious. As she lay there shaking and trying to regain control over her body, she was hit with the truth of the situation. She'd been ambushed, it was all a trap, and she was now at a severe disadvantage- injured and outnumbered. Max blinked through the pain, her eyes opening again to see three other figures that she'd never sensed or noticed come out of hiding. Clearly, they had been in the alley for a while, waiting purposefully for Max, their unsuspecting victim, deceptively quiet so that Max would never know they were there. _Their _easy _victim, _Max thought, anger filling her as she cursed inwardly at her own failure to fully assess the situation before acting.

"Hit her again," came a voice from one of the 3. Max couldn't see who it was, as their faces were still cloaked in the shadow of night.

The girl obeyed and shot Max with the stunner again. Max should have saved her strength for fighting, but then again, there were a lot of things she should have done that had already turned everything into a huge mess. So instead, she fought to speak, still holding onto the hope that this wasn't really what it all looked to be. "But… your bar-code…aren't you one of us?" Max choked out the last few words.

The girl laughed, the sound eerie and dark in the midst of the quiet dull of the vacant area. No one was there except for the group and Max. _Oh, God, _Max thought as desperation and defeat started to creep into her mind. _Nobody's here_… She was completely alone and hadn't the foggiest idea how to save herself.

"One of you?!" the girl repeated with another laugh. "Oh… You must be talking about this ol' thing!" She touched the back of her neck, a wicked smile lighting her face. "Yeah, I figured you'd come running at the sight!" She turned around and lifted her hair to give Max a full view of the bar-code.

Max was furious as the sight flickered in her eyes. It wasn't even an X5 bar-code, just close enough to fool Max at a quick glance of it. Max wanted to kick her ass more than anything, but she felt so weak from the stuns. Every second that passed, Max felt her strength fail more and more. She wondered how much longer she could hold onto consciousness.

While the girl was turned around, she was suddenly struck from behind. Max's vision was getting blurry now from being stunned. She tried to focus on the blurred figure that had apparently come to her rescue, but she felt blind, the dizzying feeling in her head spreading to her sight.

After some focus, Max finally was able to see clearly in front of her. When her vision came to, she saw a hand reaching out to her, and soon she felt the strong grip as it latched onto her tiny frame, pulling her gently to her feet.

Once she was on her feet again and standing completely on her own, Max saw the result of the battle that she'd been too blind to see for herself. Three men were sprawled on the ground, splits and bruises on their skin and completely unconscious. The girl who'd sent a shock of electricity racing through Max was now pressed against the wall, her eyes closed. She, too, was unconscious, and not standing of her own accord; someone was holding her up. Max followed the hand gripping her by the throat to a familiar face. His gentle eyes stared back at her as relief swam in them. "Max, are you okay?" he asked.

Max was slightly embarrassed. She could have handled it. …Well, she should have. She'd gotten herself out of much worse situations before. "Yeah, Zack, I'm fine," she answered him, offering a reassuring smile.

"Let's get you out of here," Zack said, his hand slipping into hers so that he could lead them out of the alley.

Max quickly ripped herself away from his grip. True, for a minute there she'd been hoping for help, but having him drop out of nowhere and save the day had a way of making her feel useless and weak. Zack was always the soldier. She was sure he was going to scold her later for being so foolish. But no matter what he thought, she wasn't entirely worthless, and she certainly didn't need his help now. She had made a stupid mistake, that was all. Max expected him to make it a bigger deal than it really was. Just like all those times when he'd insisted she leave Seattle. He'd been wrong then, she was still safe, no thanks to him, as he'd disappeared predictably. She could take care of herself, and tonight was no exception. She might have had a bad bruise in the morning, but she would've escaped without his help.

Max didn't ask how Zack knew where her Ninja was. She'd made sure to keep it hidden. But it seemed nothing got past Zack. He was silent as he got onto her bike. "Hey!" Max complained, "I wanna drive! This is mine!" What, did he think she couldn't even ride her own bike now?

Zack didn't say anything. He never said anything it seemed! Always thinking inside his head, and Max never knew what he was thinking. She could only guess, and just when she was thinking she'd gotten it right, he would do something unexpected to change her assessment again.

It was quiet for the start of the ride back, uncomfortably quiet. Max knew he was upset with her actions. _Fine, maybe he's fine not saying anything, but I'm not gonna wait around for him to explode on me! _Too many times Zack kept his disappointment to himself, and Max wasn't going to let him do that tonight. "Zack, I know what you are going to say, okay. I was being stupid. I shouldn't have gone for the bait before really knowing what was going on. I know what you're thinking-No X5 should walk right into an alley-"

"You don't know what I am going to say, Max. And you don't know what I'm thinking, so do me a favor and quit telling yourself that."

Max was silenced by the blunt words. They stung somehow, how they bit through her core. There would always be things about him that she didn't know. But she'd grown up with this man. It hurt to know how true it was, despite how close they were, she really didn't know what went on inside his mind. Clearly, she had hurt him in her words. Max wondered what he was thinking, not just about tonight, about everything.

Did he regret what he had done for her?

No. He couldn't. He never made a decision without completely thinking it through first.

Max was hoping he would elaborate, maybe even give her some insight into what his thoughts really were, since she'd gotten them so wrong. He rarely opened up, even to her.

When he didn't say anything more, Max tried to talk about something else, "I thought you were gonna be at the cottage. I was gonna head over there hopefully with another X5, but I guess it would have been alone-"

"Why would I just sit around alone in some cottage? My mission was you, remember?" He didn't say it condescendingly. He just wanted her to get it.

"I just didn't think you would be rested enough to come with me, and I wanted you to stay safe," Max tried to explain.

"So you were just going to go alone, with no backup, without a clear description; enter a secluded area with no way out, and all because of some source from Logan?"

Max frowned at his quick deductions. "Look, I could have handled it. It was just the three of them."

"They weren't the only ones, Max, there were five others I followed to get there. Trained soldiers, X series. You weren't prepared. I had to take care of them first, otherwise I would have been there sooner, and you wouldn't have had to get shocked." He seemed upset, but not because of Max's actions, more so at himself for not coming to her sooner.

Max silently thought about what he'd done for her, just how wrong she'd been about the whole thing, not even knowing other factors. But her thoughts were abruptly cut off when Zack threw something on the road beside them, leaving it to the ground while they sped off.

"What was that?" Max asked.

"A tracer. They threw it on you before I knocked them out." Zacl had wanted to do more than just stall them. His inner soldier told him to kill them, get rid of all trace. Now the lackeys could easily go back to whoever had sent them, probably Lydecker, and spill everything about Max, most importantly her location. But he couldn't kill them, no matter how many logical reasons there were. Max would be upset if he'd taken their lives. She didn't like hurting people, not even the enemy. Whenever possible, she would let them walk.

Max was pretty disgusted with herself as they rode back. She couldn't believe what a mess it was. This wasn't just an attempt to capture her, or even if it was, the fact that they'd placed a tracer on her meant they had a desire to follow her electronically and know her whereabouts. This wasn't over, even if she'd escaped this time. It seemed to be another one of those problems that she could never get away from. She was always running…

Max tried to snap herself out of the self-deprecating thoughts. She needed to stop thinking about how awful it all was. It was time to start acting like a soldier and listening to her instincts, something she should have done in the alley.

"It was a stupid mistake," she finally offered to Zack, her show that she accepted her actions.

The rest of the ride was silent. Even though Max wanted to find out where her brothers and sisters were, she realized that was her weakness. She never would have acted so foolishly without the weapon of hope working against her. She had wanted so badly to believe that she would be bringing someone back with her this time.

When they made it to Max's sector, Zack pulled over and got off her bike. "I think you know the way from here," he said simply.

Max frowned at his typical nature. It seemed he was going to take off again. "What about you?" Her eyes shone with warmth as she tried to convince him otherwise. Maybe it would work this time. "You can stay at Logan's for a few days if you want. We could go back to that cottage-"

Zack held his hand gently to Max's lips, indicating for her to stop. "We can't just hang out for a couple of days. We both have things to do, we need to keep on the move."

"Just the night or something," Max offered.

"I can't do that right now, Max. I'm finally ready to keep going. Thank you, you gave me that. But if I stay any longer, it'll just cause problems."

Max was getting frustrated. This was typical Zack. She didn't want him to leave. "Wait," she grabbed his arm, "Just…" The request died on her lips as she stared at him, realizing there was nothing she could say to make him stay.

"Goodbye, Max," he told her simply. He paused for a moment, and then did something Max wasn't expecting. He reached out suddenly, his arms wrapping around her in a tight hug, a truly warm embrace. As his arms pressed against her, Max finally felt a part of the emotion that he normally kept tightly bottled inside him. She didn't want him to ever let go as she felt everything he couldn't say. The pain burning inside of him amidst the devotion the warm body against her had for only her attacked her in its truth.

Feeling everything was almost unbearable. Max, for once, had nothing to say. But he knew what she needed to hear, "Don't worry, I'll hang around for a couple of days, on my own, make sure this little setup wasn't part of something bigger. Then I'm gonna head out, check up on the others. You know I've always got your back." He stared at her intently, his eyes mixed with sadness and relief. He stared deep into her brown eyes, his own roaming all about her, trying to grab an image to carry with him as they went their separate ways.

Then he let go, and turned around to walk away.

Max didn't know what else to do, other than stand there watching him leave. _The others_. It meant that more of her family was out there, on the run, but free from the walls of Manticore.

Right before Zack disappeared from even a transgenic's eyesight, he said something that only Max with her super enhanced hearing could pick up, "It wasn't a stupid mistake."

Max felt a single tear form in her eye, but brushed it aside. This was her life, and painful as it could be, she was used to people disappearing. _At least this time he said goodbye._

With that final thought, she pulled on her shades that helped with night vision and hopped onto her bike, headed for Logan's.

Zack couldn't help smiling even though he'd just told her the words that always hurt him more than she knew to say. It wasn't a stupid mistake. It was Max, it was who she was, part of why she was everything to him. Zack was glad she'd gone in blindly, though he'd never tell her. He knew that she wouldn't do it again, she was too clever for that, but she couldn't help but care so much. She cared too much, otherwise she would wise up and not stay in one place, but that was part of why she was so amazing. Nobody cared like Max. She had the biggest heart he'd ever seen, a spirit that was unmatched. No matter what she thought of herself, Zack knew the truth. Nothing about Max could ever be a stupid mistake.

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**a/n**: yeay. fanfiction is finally working again. Updated 4-15-07 


	5. IDs

**DISCLAIMER: i dont own these characters**

Finally, Alec is introduced, as promised

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**Chapter 5: IDs**

Renfro smiled at the turnout. Everyone made it back. Any other trained soldier would have killed someone to leave absolutely no trace. "I should have expected," she said coldly, "She's been out too long. Too many human ties have made her weak. Tell me the tracer is still with her."

A soldier stepped up, appearing to be the leader of the small group who all had bruises except himself. He was extremely good looking- dirty blonde hair, stunning green eyes, and built like a true soldier. "452 must have known, I followed the trace to about 2.4 miles east of where it had been attached, with no sign of her around."

Renfro looked down, disappointed, "Well, I didn't think we'd get that lucky. I'm amazed you all are here, though. How long did you all last with her before being overtaken?" She didn't give them a chance to respond, though, "Never mind that. It's really not important." She turned to the leader. "You managed to ID her?"

"It was definitely 452," he answered.

Renfro's eyes lit up. She had been waiting for this! How many other X5s had they collected searching for this one! And only this soldier before her would be able to ID her without physical contact. "Good work, 494," she spoke with delight.

However, instead of leaving, he stood there, looking slightly uneasy. "Permission to speak," he asked.

Renfro looked annoyed. They weren't supposed to think beyond their mission. "Go ahead, make it quick, we'll need to move immediately on this."

"452 did nothing to help her own escape."

Renfro glared, confused, "What do you mean? You're telling me you all just let her get away?"

He went on, "There was another X5, I believe. His abilities seemed that of one, however, he didn't have a bar-code."

"Did you get a description?"

"Just that it was a male. I was too focused on ID-ing 452."

Renfro nodded, "Very well. It looks like we may be getting two for one. I'll inform the rest of this new discovery."

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Back in his cell, 494 couldn't get the image out of his head. Seeing 452 seemed to have woken up something in his DNA. He couldn't stop thinking about her, trying to figure out how he knew her. Renfro told him he was randomly selected out of a bunch of X5s to ID her, but he didn't think so. Something clicked at the sight of her. He _knew_ it was her, even before he saw the bar-code. It was like she was inside of him, like they'd already met. 

He sighed and tossed up a rock he'd grabbed on his way back in, trying to decide what to do.

After a bit, he caught the rock and held it there, not tossing it back up this time. He knew what he wanted to do. He had to see her again, to figure out how he knew her. He'd have to escape.


	6. Sources

**DISCLAIMER: i dont own these characters at all**

thanks everyone for your comments!  
feel free to tell me if you have any ideas or if something seems "off" i will try and look into it

Max's connection with Logan in her heart starts to fade,but she doesn't even realize it right now

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**Chapter 6: Sources**

"Logan."

When Logan saw Max in his apartment, he felt a huge wave of relief. She didn't look hurt, she looked fine. "Max! Where is your phone? I've been trying to reach you for the past hour. It was a set-up, I only realized after you left."

Max shrugged, "Hey, I've been driving around for hours, it probably just died." She smiled, tossing it at him, "Here, you can juice it up for me."

"So what happened? I see you're okay. You realized it was a setup?"

Her look of sheer confidence faltered just for a second, but Logan noticed it. Why did she always have to keep her guard up, even around him? "You know me," she said.

She could see he wasn't buying it. She opened up a little, "Okay, so I was pretty much ambushed. Listen, you don't need to worry though, I am strong enough to handle it. Right now I just want to find Zack. He's not at the cottage, is he?" she asked more matter of factly than really asking. She didn't want to tell him that she herself had been foolish enough to walk right into such an obvious trap, blinded by hope.

Logan shook his head, "No, he kind of bailed when he realized you were gone."

Max nodded. She found herself getting angry. This had been a complete waste. Thanks to Logan and his lame tip, she had made an idiot out of herself, hurt Zack, and not taken advantage of the chance to find out where her real X5 family was.

Logan kept going, business as usual. "I found out something from this tip, though. It had a false tracer on it, and I didn't realize at first. But while you were out, I managed to get a location to where it was really coming from. Although you wouldn't be able to check it out."

Max scoffed. "Come on, like I would go after this tip? Maybe you should check your sources more carefully before letting me go in somewhere blindly! It's good to see where my trust in you led me tonight." _Ouch_, she thought as she was saying it. She knew she was being too hard on him. She was really upset at herself for going in so blindly. Logan didn't know any better. But it felt good to let him take some of the fall for this.

"Max, I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am. I admit it, I was a complete fool. You don't have to worry though, I have very good ways to double check my sources, I just didn't take the time to do it this time. You know I would never put you in any kind of danger where you would end up hurt." Logan hated seeing her upset with him. But he knew she was right. He had been so eager to get her away from Zack that he jumped at a good excuse to lead her away from him without making sure it was safe.

Max looked away, outside the window. She couldn't do this right now, this dance with Logan, or sit there blaming herself either. She needed to get out. Zack had said he would stay there to find out who was behind the trap. She wanted to know, too. She also just wanted to see Zack. Working on a new assignment with him would help her put this latest shame behind her. She hated not knowing what to do. Zack was always the leader, the one with the plan. Lately, she'd been getting better at that, but right now she didn't know where to start. She needed to go somewhere to think without so much laying on her at Logan's.

"Max," Logan tried again, "It was traced to an aircraft, and the signal cut out about an hour ago, around the same time when you were right there. I don't think they'll use it again, I think it was just meant to locate you momentarily."

Max brushed it off, "I don't care right now, okay. I need to get out of here. I'm heading to Crash. Don't follow me." She stared at Logan for a moment, he looked desperate for something.

Right before she walked out, she turned over her shoulder. "I know you wouldn't hurt me," she blurted, "I'll call you later." Then she was gone.

Logan stared at her phone sitting in the charger at his desk. She wasn't going to be calling him it looked like. _I know you wouldn't hurt me_, he repeated in his mind. That was all he needed to hear. But he still felt frustrated at sending her into a trap and getting her hopes up. He would have to find something to make up for it. Maybe there was still hope he really could find another X5 somewhere. He did have lots of reliable sources. "And some unreliable ones," he thought out loud.


	7. Quick Stop At Crash

**DISLCLAIMER: i dont own these characters at all**

Max meets up with her best friend for a little "pick me up"/ forming a plan of action

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**Chapter 7: Quick Stop at Crash**

Max walked into Crash, but her mood didn't change. She was pissed. Which made the guys gawking at her even more annoying than usual. It really wasn't their fault- she was gorgeous, a transgenic, altered with the best DNA, including good looks, to make her superior to all other humans in every way. Not to mention she was wearing her trademark leather pants, and a figure fitting top.

She sighed sitting at the bar. A drink wouldn't help her right now, but she needed one anyway.

As she drank it down, a guy sat beside her, extra close. _Here we go!_, she thought. This one looked extra tipsy. "Hey, my name's Steve," he offered. _I don't care!_, she thought inside, but instead answered, "Hey!" with a cheesy smile. She really wasn't in the mood for this. Besides, she needed to start thinking about where Zack would be. Were there any leads at the scene?

She was trying to piece together something, but the guy kept talking to her. "So, can I buy you a drink?"

She rolled her eyes. "I've already got one!" she said, gulping it down.

To her relief, a familiar voice came to her rescue. "It's my girl! Whachu doin' here, boo? I thought you were visitin' a sick Uncle… at least that's what I told Normal."

Max turned around and finally smiled for real, "Thanks, girl, I know you've always got my back." Now she wouldn't have to come up with an excuse for why she missed work.

"You know Original Cindy's got ya back! Now get over here, and tell me about your Uncle."

Max gladly walked away, tossing a "Later" at the guy so he wouldn't follow.

They kicked back at a table, giving them some privacy. "So,"OC asked, "How is that Uncle?"

Max laughed, "Come on, you know I didn't leave for some Uncle."

Her friend nodded, "Yea, I know that. You look like somethin's on your mind, though. That guy over there, you looked like you needed some serious space, more than usual. And he didn't look like he got that, you really should hang out with the girls, we're good at pickin up on stuff like that!" she added jokingly to lighten the mood.

Then she continued, "Listen, you don't need to fill me in, but if you need to talk, you know I'm here."

Max nodded, "Thanks. We really should just chill sometime."

OC agreed, "You know I'm down for that! Just lemme know when and I'll bring the party!"

Max got another beer and looked around, making sure there was no one suspicious around before spilling some of the details. "Logan and I kind of got into it. It's nothing huge, but I needed to get out. Plus, I was supposed to be hangin out with someone today, but I don't know where to find him."

"_Him_?" OC asked, "Is he the reason you and Logan aint with it right now?"

Max shook her head. "No. But that's beside the point, Logan can wait. This can't. He might be gone by tomorrow. I know it's gettin kinda late, but I really need to find him tonight."

OC nodded, "Well, where does he hang out? You've checked out those places, right?"

Max frowned. She didn't know where Zack would "hang out". She was sure he wasn't doing that, he was probably trying to figure out who set her up, or how they knowingly leaked themselves to Logan. Then she thought of something. His bar-code. Zack liked to get it removed, even though it would come back within a couple of days. Maybe he was at a tattoo place right now getting it removed, or checking it out for later. "Tattoos," she said.

"Your boy is a skin head?"

Max laughed, "He's not my boy. And he only has one. But I think he wanted to get rid of it. I can think of one place nearby. Do you know of any others?"

Cindy shook her head, "Girl, that aint my thing. But I'm sure you could ask around here. Your boy by the bar has one."

Max shook her head, "No, I'll be good with this. Thanks a lot."

"See you at work tomorrow?" Cindy asked.

"If all goes well!" Max called before heading out to find Zack.


	8. Ben

**DISCLAIMER: I dont own any of these characters**

Alec and Max meet officially... sort of  
-again, thanks for the reviews

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**Chapter 8: Ben**

Max crept up to the place. Only a 10 minute walk from Crash. 5 for her. She made sure to keep hidden, in case Zack was nearby. She wanted to spot him before he spotted her. _Damnit_, she thought. Couldn't she get a break for once? If he wasn't here, she didn't know where he would be. She decided to chill there for a bit thinking of where else to go, while hoping he would show up while she was there.

After sitting in the shadows for a few minutes, she heard something with her enhanced hearing. The place was still open, and it sounded like there was a customer. But that wasn't what sparked her ears- she heard someone say, "Removing hurts worse you know." Someone was getting a tattoo removed! Could her luck have changed? Maybe Zack was in there right now. It had only been about 2 hours since she had last seen him, there was a very good chance he was still nearby. This would help him search for clues without as much suspicion.

She had to movecloser to get a look at who was inside. Maybe she should just walk right in. _No_, she decided, _that is what got me in trouble this morning!_. This time she would lay low, and be patient.

She crept up very close, but still outside. The customer was a guy, but with the darkness, and the angle, she couldn't see his face, or tell where he was getting one removed. On his back side somewhere, but she couldn't place if it was up around his neck where she was hoping, or if it was lower.

She got slightly startled feeling a vibration coming from her pocket. _Shit!_, she thought, as it broke her concentration for a split second. She ignored it. It had to be Logan paging her. _It wouldn't matter_, she thought, she had left her phone at his place.

Staring inside, she noticed the guy looking in her direction. She felt safe though, there was no way even a transgenic could see her where she was. But she couldn't move while he was staring. Why was he staring? Finally he looked away.

She was about to reach in her pocket to turn off her vibrator when it went off again. This time it didn't break her concentration, and she noticed the customer look her way again. _Oh my God!_, she thought. He must have heard it, and only a transgenic would be able to hear that at his distance.

She held her breath. She had to stay in place. If she moved, he would surely see her. _But if it's Zack, that doesn't matter_, she realized. They had already tried one trap tonight. They wouldn't plan on making another in just the next sector over. Besides, they would be coming for her, not the other way around. She scanned the area more thoroughly and realized it was just her, the customer, and the owner. No one else was around. She knew she could handle one other transgenic, even after getting stunned earlier. She was already recovered and ready to go.

Max waited until the owner turned around for a moment, then stood up and made her way inside before the customer could run away.

Once inside she knew, he was definitely a transgenic. He had gotten a tattoo removed from the back of his neck, and more than that, he noticed her come in even though she was extremely quiet and the owner didn't notice. They stared at each other for a moment. Max gave herself away to the owner with a gasp. It was Ben! One of her X5 brothers who had escaped that she had been looking for!

The owner spun around, startled, then smiled at the sight of Max. "Hey, pretty thang, what can I do for you? Depending where you want one, I might give it to you for free."

Max stared a moment longer at Ben before answering. Ben seemed to recognize her, but also like he didn't know who she was. And strangely, he looked like he'd been caught.

Max turned to the owner, "First of all, my name isn't 'pretty thang', it's Max. And I didn't come for a tattoo, I came to meet up with my friend, Ben." She stared at Ben intently. _Come on, Ben! Work with me here!_

Ben found his composure and his face no longer showed confusion. He was good at adapting to his surroundings. "Max, what gives, you're late. I thought you were lookin' forward to tonight." He smiled strangely at her, he seemed to like this game.

"Well, I'm here now, and it looks like you're done, so let's go."

"Where are we going?" Ben asked smartly, he clearly didn't trust her.

"Back to my place," she decided honestly. If something went wrong, she had a feeling she could take Ben alone. Besides, if she brought him to her apartment, Zack would no doubt be nearby if trouble happened.

"Well then let's go," Ben answered, again smartly. He put his arm around her. It sent a weird rush down Max's spine, but she didn't know why. She had always been extremely comfortable around Ben. Of course, that was years ago by now. She calmed down about that and kept playing it cool until they were out of sight of the tattoo place. Then she moved out from underneath his arm.

"Nice," she said sincerely, "I would have had to knock that guy out if you hadn't kept your cool. Now at least there won't be anything else on my back from tonight."

Ben nodded, but didn't respond right away. He was unusually quiet till they made it to her apartment, but he was staring at her the whole time.


	9. Not Ben

**DISCLAIMER: I dont own these characters at all**

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**Chapter 9: Not Ben**

Max opened the door slowly. Hopefully OC was still out, because she really needed some alone time with Ben. She didn't want anyone to hear, and her apartment was the perfect place to talk. Luckily, she realized they were alone, and stepped inside, shutting the door behind Ben.

"So, yea, that was quick of you, too," Ben said, finally speaking up. "Thinking up names like that. I don't know how I feel about Ben, but Max seems to suit you, 452."

Max put her hand her hip, "Ben, I was serious. It's Max, remember? What are you doing here? Did you know I was staying here? I am so glad to see you!" She wrapped her arms around him, giving him a hug.

494 accepted her embrace, and returned it. As she was so close to him, he took in her scent- it was amazing. The whole way to her apartment he had been marveling at her beauty, taking in every inch of her to memory. She definitely had an affect on him, it seemed out of his control. Why was he so interested in her?

Max let go and stood back, staring at him, waiting for a response.

494 stared into her brown eyes, wanting more, but still not knowing why. He needed to keep his cool. He had to find out more information, maybe he should go along with it.

"Right, Max. I know, I was just kidding I guess. Seeing you made me remember those days, you know, going by our numbers."

Max laughed mildly, "I know, those damn numbers we can't seem to escape from! Although you found a way I see." She glided her hands along the back of his neck where a bar-code used to be. The skin was already healing slightly. The bar-code would probably be back in a couple of days.

494 backed away when Max touched him. He didn't like how it made him feel. When she touched him, it was like she had some sort of control over him.

"Sorry," Max apologized, "Still hurting, huh. So, seriously. What's goin on? I have had one hell of a day, and I really just would like to get to the point. I might even sleep tonight. You could, too, if you want. I don't know if you have a place, but it's safe here. I have a roommate, but since you don't have a bar-code right now, it'll be fine."

494 nodded. He should stay. Find out as much as he could. What had she meant, _I might even sleep tonight_? Was her endurance further enhanced than his? It couldn't be, they were the same series.

She looked like she was starting to get suspicious. He would need to give her something to keep her trust. "Well, yea, I came here looking for you. I don't have a place to stay, because I just got in tonight. Luck's on my side I guess since you're the first person I ran into."

Max nodded. "Well good thing you've got some luck, cuz mine hasn't been too hot today," she blurted out.

494 nodded. He knew why. Would she trust him to tell him? "What do you mean, are you in some kind of trouble, Max."

Max loved hearing him say her name. What was going on here? It was like they were connected somehow. _Well, duh!_, she thought. They had spent their childhood together, if you could call it that. Growing up at Manticore was some kind of an upbringing. Talk about a dysfunctional family! Something was odd about Ben, though. She didn't sense any danger, but something just wasn't right.

"I don't know. I'm being dramatic. It always sucks having to lay low, you know."

494 nodded. She was being smart. _How clever of you, Max_, he thought to himself. But he was clever, too. He tried to pry her for something. "Doesn't it! So Max, honestly, I can't remember too much about before. I try to block it out, you know. What was I like?" He really just wanted to know who this 'Ben' was that she kept referring to. She was smart. She wouldn't just label someone. He must have had a striking resemblance to 'Ben', whoever that was.

Max couldn't place what was off. Why was he messing with her? It was like he was playing some stupid game, how long he could keep bullshitting her. She could play, too, at least until she found out something more about why he was here. This surely wasn't another trap, was it? She did think about the old Ben for a moment. Even though they were kids, this wasn't like him. Ben didn't like playing games like this, he was honest, in his own way. He tookcare of Max. Not like Zack, though. He was an interesting character back in the day. Manticore would have probably thought he was crazy, but Max liked the stories he would tell. "Well, you always have been a smart-ass," Max lied.

_She's lying, _494 thought, _I can see it in her eyes. I guess I already screwed up with my own personality._ "Was I?" he asked, "I really can't remember now."

Max couldn't tell if he was lying or not. "Well, I'm gonna take a shower. Try and remember something, okay. It's for your own good to remember what you're up against."

As she closed the bathroom door behind her, she hated the feeling she had, like a stranger was in her apartment. She wasn't sure of anything, really. This guy was clearly an X5, and he looked exactly like Ben. _It's not Ben_, she decided, turning on the water. But who the hell was it, then? He had Ben's face. _Maybe they captured him and brainwashed him_, she thought. _Or maybe he went crazy and started to believe his stories._ He seemed in his right mind, though, at least now.

As she took time to have a relaxing shower, she made up her mind. She didn't know what this guy's deal was, but he wasn't Ben.


	10. Rest

**DISCLAIMER: i dont own these characters  
**thanks everyone who is sticking with this story so far, there will be more of Manticore (not just the characters relationships/thoughts) coming up. And of course there'sa chapter coming dealing with Max/Logan, unfortunately! I am sorry for M/L fans, but if you can't tell from my writing, I really don't see them fitting well together!

A question for you guys, for a later chapter, (Chapter 18 actually), I am introducing an X character, right now, it might not even be an X5, but I need to use a bar-code that hasn't been used already by the show, and I can't keep track of it all! this character right now I'm not sure if will be important, or just mentioned in a couple chapters, but I am currently planning on using "392" to refer to this character. My question: is this number already being used to refer to another character I've fogotten about? If it is, would you mind suggesting a different number that isn't being used? Thanks, I would really appreciate it

going to be updating a lot lately, I have a week before school is out, and I won't have much free time then. Thanks again, feel free to review.

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**Chapter 10: Rest**

494 waited till Max had the water on before going through her apartment as quickly as possible. Maybe he could find something out on his own, but he needed _something _to go by, anything.

The place was pretty empty. It was clear Max didn't spend too much time here. So where else did she go most of the time. _Searching for other X5s?_, he thought, remembering that was how they baited her earlier. Why would she put herself on the line for someone that she hadn't seen in years? Why especially without being certain? It didn't make sense to him.

He noticed something about her bed, too. It looked like she hadn't used it in weeks. Either she slept on the floor, or she didn't stay here. _Maybe this isn't her apartment_, he thought with slight worry. Would she have placed a trap upon him? _Nah_, he decided. She wanted too badly to believe every X5 was good, to join up or something. What was it she wanted from them? He for the life of him couldn't see the point in putting your neck on the line to say "Hi," because that's about all the conversation that would happen before they would need to separate again to save both their asses from getting caught by Manticore.

She had to be almost done in there. She was taking longer than normal it seemed. He didn't have much time. He moved to a dresser. _Could be the roommate's_, he thought. But as he noticed the black lace bra, which he couldn't help smirking at, he just knew, this belonged to Max. Just as he was about to give up on finding anything and just enjoy the last few moments alone picturing Max in her underwear, he heard something vibrating.

_The pager!_ He thought, he'd heard it from inside the tattoo place. Where the hell was it? He followed the sound to a pile of clothes right outside the door, the ones she'd just been wearing. As he bent down and picked up the pager, he couldn't help taking in a whiff of her scent. It was all over her clothes. He was drawn to that scent. He had the same feeling as earlier when she'd touched him. He didn't like that feeling, he made himself snap out of it, and stared at the pager just long enough to see the number before hearing the water shut off.

He quickly put it back and leaped onto Max's bed, the nearest seat, just as the knob was turning.

Max came out, and it was like slow motion. She was wet. She was wearing a towel. It came barely over her tight…

_Geez, get a grip on yourself!_, 494 thought to himself. She was going to notice! He'd been around tons of good looking women- he saw them every day at Manticore. He was trained, gifted in charming, capturing the hearts of women, he learned how to keep his cool around a woman no matter what. It was like Max was undoing him and all his training with just one look.

"You really should take a shower," she offered. "I'm serious! We have water for the next 2 days, then they are shutting it off again. You don't get to take a warm shower around here too often!"

"What, I stink that bad?"

Actually, Max thought he smelled pretty good. _Now where did that thought come from! _She shrugged, "Suit yourself, but I'm telling you, it's a precious treat tonight."

"It's okay, Max. I uh, borrowed someone's place for a bit when I first came into town. I borrowed their shower and some money, too."

Max eyed him with a disappointed look, but how could she blame him. He was a lone X5, and he had to get by somehow! Although she couldn't shake the feeling that again, it didn't seem like something Ben would do.

"So you've just been sitting there the whole time?" she asked. She wasn't trying to hide that she didn't quite trust him.

494 shrugged, "It's not like you have any video games here."

She rolled her eyes, "So that's all I need to entertain you, huh _Ben_?" she said the name with special emphasis.

He smirked, he couldn't help it. Max could easily entertain him without any video games. "There are probably other ways," he blurted out, "_Max_." he said with the same emphasis. He could play this game. It just might get amusing.

Unfortunately for him, Max didn't bite. "Well, I'm really tired, I only have one bed here, as I see you've discovered. You can have the floor," She said as she tossed a couple pillows and her comforter on the ground for him.

_We can share_, he thought, but he kept that one to himself. "You're so generous, Max! Do I get a teddy bear, too?"

Her beautiful, full lips actually opened slightly, like she was going to say something, but nothing came out. Her gorgeous brown eyes, too, looked like her spirit was ready for a fight.

"Turn around," she said, "You can manage to be a gentleman for 5 seconds, right?"

He nodded, but still spoke to her without looking. "Now, Maxie, I'm always a gentleman."

He could sense her tense slightly at that. He must have pissed her off.

Max just wanted to go to bed, for once. She hardly ever slept, and now that she'd made up her mind that she would, this ass was going to ruin it, and for what? If he was trying to get information he wasn't doing a good job. If he was trying to impersonate Ben, he wasn't doing a very good job. So what the hell was he doing there?

Max wasn't going to give him the upper hand here. While he was turned around, she crept up quietly behind him, leaned her head right behind his, and without warning of how close she was, she whispered into his ear quietly, "Good night, Ben."

He turned around quicker than she expected, and she found herself within about 2 inches from his face. He was staring so intensely at her that she was caught off guard and lost her cool for just a split second.

He smiled. That was it, he had won. He got her to lose her cool, and it wasn't even that hard. He'd let her sleep now. "Good night Max," he answered, also with a whisper in her ear.

She stepped away, picking up her pile of clothes. It didn't look like she'd noticed the pager was slightly out of place.

494 had just laid his head down to genuinely go to sleep, when he heard her voice. "You know you never used to be a gentleman, Ben."

What the hell was she doing? Did she hate losing that badly? "Max, that hurts."

She rolled her eyes again. "So are you gonna be here when I wake up, or what? I don't want you bolting in the middle of the night on me."

494 smiled, "Now why would I walk out on the chance to spend more time with you?" He liked toying with Max, even though it really wasn't helping him find out anything. But right now he really was tired, and afterall, he'd already won the game. He wanted some rest now. "I thought you wanted to sleep, Max. Do you want to talk instead? You know I've got stories." He said it jokingly, but somehow that line worked. She definitely didn't look so sure of herself now.

"What did you say?" she asked seriously, letting go of their bantering.

"Max, what do you want to ask me?" he asked without thinking, and it was genuine. He wanted to help her for some reason, she looked deeply troubled.

She studied him for a moment before letting it go. "Nevermind. You know, I'm just really tired. I thought you said something, but I was wrong. I just need some rest."

_What just happened here_? 494 thought. He had definitely somehow struck a nerve. Was the thought of talking to him that disturbing? He wanted to know, but he figured he'd already pushed his luck. He couldn't mess with her anymore tonight, she really did need her sleep. He let it go, and laid down to sleep.

Max laid in her bed with her eyes open. She was exhausted, but frustrated. She wanted to be alone right now. She didn't like it when other people saw her sleep, when she was most vulnerable. _Especially jackasses_, she thought. This guy just didn't add up. She was about to expose him when he'd said that. She was ready to call him out on his bull, but then he had to go and say that. "_You know I've got stories."_ Was it a coincidence? It had to be, there was no way this guy was Ben. But that didn't give her any answers.

Instead it just left her missing Ben and his stories. They helped her get through, back then.

She finally let go of all her thoughts, and let herself fall into a sleep. It felt so good to just let it all go.


	11. The Escape

**DISCLAIMER: i dont own these characters**

-thanks for the reviews btw, i'm going with 302 for that X5 later on, thanks Daredizzy!

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**Chapter 11: The Escape**

494 didn't keep his promise to Max. He liked being a free-spirit anyway, no one told him when he could leave or not. It's not like she wanted his company, anyway. She just wanted to keep an eye on him and figure him out, or find out about Ben.

He took one last look at her while she was sleeping before leaving. There was something so beautiful about seeing her sleeping there. Part of him did want to stay longer, but he had to get out from under her radar. He'd found all he could from here, and he needed to go somewhere else to find out more.

He left her apartment, and headed for a phone booth.

Once inside the booth, he shut the door behind him and thought for a minute before dialing the number. He was relaying the past 24 hours and going over his options. He was pretty stuck right now. He couldn't go back to Manticore, they'd end up punishing him, or implanting a memory chip or something so he would forget how he escaped- only after they'd probed it out of him so they could stop anyone else from escaping. Not to mention they would keep a close eye on him, and never trust him again. He'd seen what they did to escapees- however few of them- that returned by being caught or even by their own choice. Even those who returned by choice never were trusted or treated right ever again.

It really had been so simple. He could have left any number of times. He laughed to himself, thinking how stupid Manticore was. Constantly, they made the same mistake, underestimating their soldiers, actually fooling themselves into believing they had complete control over their soldiers' abilities, actions, and thoughts. They were stupid enough to believe that only that group of X5 escapees long ago were the ones that wanted out. They were flawed somehow. Those X5s that stayed- they were made the right way. They were perfect. He laughed again inside, thinking how foolish Manticore was. Pride really got in the way of their objectives- even though that was a lesson they taught their own soldiers- to never let pride get in the way.

He had been their best soldier at the time. Always following orders, never asking too many questions. He'd never been punished- not once. He broke the rules a couple of times, but he was smart about it, no one had ever caught him.

Manticore had made their biggest mistake a while back- but they had no choice. They made him that way- they trained him for the purpose of leaving his cell, going out to the natural world, working people and their emotions for the better of Manticore.

That was probably why he'd never escaped before. He didn't need to! He had it made. Even though he was in a cell like the others, he was one of the few who got to go out and see the outside all the time. And he didn't have to do it dressed in his uniform, holding a gun. He got to interact with people. He didn't mind his old life.

He remembered one time when he'd seen another soldier, an X6, jealous as hell, bugging him about fairness. 494 had laughed at him- fairness? That kid had to be kidding- that word didn't exist at Manticore. That's when the kid gave him the idea- he said, "Why don't you just escape? And when you do, take me with you."

494 never really had thought about it before, but it was true- why didn't he just escape? Part of him wanted to walk away during his mission that night. He could have, easily.

He had decided in his cell that he wanted to leave, right then. It wasn't difficult. He was used to manipulating people. Renfro would be no exception.

All he had to do was tell her he'd remembered something else about the other X5. He played on her weakness. Renfro was greedy, power hungry- always wanting more, always wanting to be in control. He knew what she wanted to hear- that he could ID him. She'd let him leave, go on another mission, but this time he wouldn't come back.

"I thought of something else," he said in her office.

There it was, that devious smile of hers- at just the thought of getting more. He had her.

She tried to contain herself, but she was pathetic. Not trained like the X5s- not with their enhancements. "What's that?" she asked. He could tell she was slightly annoyed- it was her pride. She hated it when her soldiers- people that she felt needed to take orders- managed to one up her, think of something she didn't. And at the same time she loved it, reveling in her own work, admiring how perfect they'd made them.

He said exactly what she wanted to hear. "Even though he didn't have a bar-code, I could make out the scar. I just had a flash of it, and I remember the 1st digits." In truth, he had already lied to her. He could have told her who it was. He wasn't sure, but he noticed the blond hair- he wasn't sure, but had a feeling it was 559. Either way, he knew she would never be able to resist that information. He was the leader, the main reason her precious creations had escaped. It was his idea. 494 had never known 559, but everyone knew the story. "X55" was all he needed to say. Her face lit up with delight. Now was his chance. If he didn't take advantage, she'd have time to think about it and change her mind.

"I can ID him, I'm positive. 452 was injured, and I am certain he helped her escape. I have her scent, I'll be able to track both of them down, but it has to be tonight. They won't be expecting a 2nd attempt in one night." He hoped he hadn't milked it too much.

He saw the wheels spinning in her head. _Shit_, he thought, _don't think about it, just do it!_. Then he saw that devious smile again- he had her. "Okay, let me get a team ready-"

"No team," he said, speaking out of line. She was too excited to notice. She took his ideas as her own, taking the credit for the whole thing.

"No team," she repeated, taking his idea, now hers, and running with it, "I want you to go to both of them. Tell them you've escaped, you need their help. Leave this with them", she handed him a tracer, "Then stay with them until the team arrives- and that's when you turn on them. Get going!"

He nodded, still keeping his composure as he left her office. On his way out he spotted him again, that kid, the X6. Still glaring in jealousy. 494 thought about it, he really did, but instead he just winked at the kid. And the kid knew- he wasn't coming back. And then there was a hate on the poor kid's face. Knowing he was being left behind.

494 didn't care, he was out of there! It was all too easy! He'd have to get to that sector again, and just chuck the tracer on some poor ordinary.

He could read Renfro like a book, as far as her wants and desires went- it was like that with everyone. He had a way of analyzing people without thinking about it and knowing what it was they wanted, how to work their weaknesses. But there was one thing he couldn't get from Renfro- why she wanted 452 so badly.

There was talk of experiments upon the soldiers- rumor was to find special DNA, special even for a transgenic. The soldiers were all injected with something starting a month ago, one shot a week. They of course weren't told what it was. But there were rumors going around that soon they would be mating in hopes of getting that special DNA.

494 wasn't one for conspiracy theories. He didn't like having to look for clues- it was fun figuring out people, but not puzzles. Although he was genetically enhanced and had an excellent mind it wasn't fun for him like messing with people. He didn't like having to sift through details.

All this thinking was getting him nowhere. He still didn't know why Renfro wanted Max so badly, or even if it mattered. He still didn't know why the thought of Max made him need to escape.

_Should I have warned Max?_, he thought, thinking about the team that would now be coming for both he, Max, and the other X5 he'd seen. _Forget about her_, he decided,_ I need to think of what I'm gonna do_.

With that he grabbed the phone and decided to go on the only clue he had right now- the number from Max's pager.


	12. Phone Tag

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters**

- thanks to all reviews, sorry the wait for the next chapters. i'm working on another story.

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**Chapter 12: Phone Tag**

Logan heard his phone ringing again. Would it finally be Max? He was worried about her. He didn't like to push her too much, but she never just ignored his pager. By now surely she could have easily found her way to a phone to let him know how she was. He wondered if she was mad at him. He hated making Max angry, but sometimes it seemed that was out of his control.

Logan felt some hope noticing the call was coming from a pay phone. He had Max's cell phone, so she would have to use a pay phone to get a hold of him. "Hello?" he answered.

"Yea. What's goin on?" came a male voice from the other end. Logan slouched, disappointed. "Who is this?" he demanded. He wasn't one for games.

"A friend of Max."

"That doesn't answer my question." Logan kept to the point.

There was a pause from the other end. _Buying time to make something up_, Logan thought. He wouldn't let that happen. "Listen, either you tell me who you are, or I'm hanging up."

"My name is Ben," came the reply.

Logan racked his brain… the name was familiar. Max had told him a little bit about her days back at Manticore, and Ben seemed to be ringing a bell. He couldn't place it though. "Am I supposed to know who that is?" he asked, needing more information.

"Listen, I know Max from back in the day. Right now I think she might be in trouble. I met up with her last night, and she was pretty stressed about something, but she didn't want to talk about it. She gave me this number and told me it was someone I could trust. Can I come over so we can talk about this somewhere private?"

Logan didn't want to make another mistake by just going with it. But this time it would be him, and not Max. And he owed it to Max to figure something out for her and help her after he led her into a trap last night, so he went ahead and took the risk.

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Max woke up in a fury- he'd skipped out on her. What if he was still working for Manticore and now they had her address? She felt like the whole time she'd spent off work was a waste. She didn't even get to kick any ass the whole time, and it was driving her nuts! Usually after a peaceful sleep, because it was rare, she felt great, but today she felt like crap.

She picked up the pillows and blanket he'd left crumpled up on the floor. _Slob!_, she thought in disgust. Just the fact that she had to tidy up because some jerk had been there made her more upset. She wanted some answers. Right then she'd give anything to hop on her bike and chase down this new X5 jerk. But for now she had to get to work. She'd surely get fired if she didn't come in today.

"Max!" Normal exclaimed when she arrived. "You're alive! In that case, here- you better get going, I've got 6 packages to get done by lunch." He shoved an envelope in her face.

Max wanted to kill him, "Shove something else in my face and you won't have one anymore. And are you crazy, six packages! Before lunch! I just got here, and I'm already late!" She was staring daggers at him.

Normal slowly pulled the envelope away. "Well, I'll just have someone else deliver this."

Max didn't give him the chance to shove something else in her face.

"Hey now, Max, I still have one for you, though!" Normal called after her.

Everyone there got quiet. They all liked Max, but really, she scared the hell out of them sometimes. They were waiting to see what she'd do to Normal. She spun around, "Can't I even go to my locker and drop off my things first!" She wasn't asking, she headed to her lockers.

Original Cindy was standing by her locker. "So what's up, boo- looks like you had a rough night after Crash- didn't find your man, huh?"

Max sighed. "No, I didn't." Zack was another matter she would rather be attending to than running packages right now.

"Too bad."

Max brushed it off, "It's fine. I just want to get this stuff over with so I can get out of here. I've got a lot goin' on right now." She turned to Cindy, "So where were you last night? That must mean you had a _good_ night, right?"

Her friend smiled, "Now you know if I'm out, I'm havin' a good time!"

Max nodded. "So where'd you end up then?"

Cindy shrugged, "Can't say, really. I met someone but we'll have to see what happens there. I guarantee you though I will be home tonight. Parties like that leave you needin' rest to recoop for the next one!"

Max smiled, "Cool. Hopefully I'll see you there."

Normal's annoying voice interrupted their casual chat. "Uh, Max! This needs to go out, pronto!"

Max rolled her eyes and sighed in disgust.

"Now be nice!" Cindy joked. Max made sure to put on a big cheesy smile as she grabbed the package from a terrified looking Normal.


	13. Pasta & Problems

**Chapter 13: Pasta & Problems**

_Wow! This place is seriously snazzy!_, 494 thought upon arriving at the apartment. _This guy much be rich! _He amused himself with another thought, _maybe it's her sugar daddy_.

A man answered the door. Intense eyes and a serious demeanor- too serious for 494's liking. He held out his hand for the man to shake, "Hey! Thanks again for inviting me over!"

The man stared at his hand for a moment before accepting it. He didn't say anything, just let 494 come in and shut the door behind him.

494 smelled something that seemed like food. Suddenly he was starving. He hadn't eaten anything in a while. "So, whatcha got cookin? Can I have somethin' to eat? Man, I am starving, and that smells so good!"

The man looked very annoyed. "Well, I was cooking right before you called. I also wasn't expecting anyone."

"Now that's a lie. You've got settings here for 2." _Poor guy looks lonely!_, 494 thought. "So, whose meal am I eating, then? Your girlfriend?"

The man didn't answer, but instead handed 494 a helping of what he was cooking.

"Hey, thanks, man!" 494 took a bite. "This is delicious! You really have a gift here. By the way, nice apartment, too." He took the moment to look around, seemingly admiring the place. Really he was scanning for anything that might connect this guy with Max. He was an ordinary. Why would he be paging her?

The man nodded, "Thanks." He kept staring at 494, an intense stare. Did nothing break his concentration? It wasn't exactly going to be easy snooping around if this guy wouldn't focus on something else. The girlfriend didn't distract him. The digs didn't distract him. "You work, uh… what did you say your name was?"

"Logan. My name is Logan." _Logan,_ 494 thought. _Good to know._ Logan still kept his stare. "So, Ben. You said something about Max being in trouble."

494 was curious, seeing the look in Logan's eye. This man, though holding his composure very well, looking skeptical of this whole situation, who incidentally was a great cook, sincerely cared about Max. 494 could tell just by the look in his eyes right then.

"Wait…" 494 began, "This meal was for Max?…You cooked this for Maxie!"

Logan got up, losing his composure but still not moving his sight to something else, "Listen, Ben. If Max is in any kind of danger you need to tell me right now."

_Or what? You're a freakin ordinary. Don't make me laugh!_

Before Logan could get an answer, his phone started ringing. _Thank God! _Now maybe he'd finally be able to snoop a little bit. To his surprise, Logan let it ring. _What the hell?_ "Aren't you gonna answer that?" he asked Logan with a smile.

Logan kept his focus on 494. It wasn't unnerving, just incredibly annoying. It seemed he was trying to prove something by keeping his focus on 494. "What's going on with Max." Logan demanded more than asked as the phone kept ringing.

_Who does this guy think he is?_, 494 thought. Making dinner for Max, a damn good one, too, wanting to know where she was all the time- was this her boyfriend! He almost laughed out loud at the thought. Tough Maxie, an X5, in a relationship with Eyes, here. "Max.." he started, but then he heard Logan's answering machine pick up the call. The caller started to leave a message, "Logan. So, I really thought you would be there. Maybe I won't swing by today-" It was Max. _Shit, I have to get out of here_.

At that, finally Logan quit staring at 494, and immediately picked up the phone. "Max! Wait, I am here."

**-------------------------------**

"What!" Max exclaimed once Logan had finished, "Ben was here? What the hell did he want?" She was standing in Logan's apartment, and couldn't believe what she was hearing. Work had been hell, and she was only half-done, running all over town to make up for missing the past few days, and now she had to deal with more from this jerk when she didn't even know who he was or what he was doing here!

"Not a big fan of his, huh?" Logan asked with a slight smile. He'd gotten over the afternoon. Looking at Max, he found himself calm and happy. Nothing really seemed to get to him when he was with Max. Not to mention she looked adorable when she was upset.

"Hell no!" Max answered, just then realizing the extent to which he annoyed her. "And that is not Ben. I don't know who he is, I never got a chance to figure it out before he took off." She was getting furious hearing about this idiot's latest move.

"He said you were in danger."

"What an ass! You didn't seriously believe him, Logan, did you?"

"He had me going for a little bit. I mean, I still hadn't heard from you."

_Ouch_, Max thought. He was still mad about her not returning his call and storming out last night. Max looked down. She felt bad. "Yea, sorry about that. I really don't even know why I left here so angry the other night. I was just upset because I lost Zack."

"It was my fault."

"No-"

"No, really, it was. I fed you that fake source."

Max reached out and touched Logan's hand. "It's okay, really. I promise I'm over that." Her eyes smiled into his. His face changed when she touched him, he looked like he was going to make a move, and for some reason it made her uncomfortable. She let go of his hand. "So what do you think of 'Ben'. I hate calling him that, it isn't his real name."

Logan didn't mind that she backed away. He never felt like she owed him anything, he was always just trying to give her what she needed. He was always patient with Max. But the look in her eyes troubled him. Things had been awkward between them before, but this look was new to him. He wasn't sure how she felt, but their relationship, whatever that was, was the last thing they needed to focus on right then.

"He's a character!" Logan began. "Seriously, he's pretty weird. I still don't know if he got what he wanted in coming here- I can't tell what he wants."

Max sighed, "You and me both. All I know is he drives me nuts! I'm gonna be pissed forever until I find him and kick his ass." She meant that literally. She had a yearning inside of her to fight him, and she really wouldn't rest until she did.

"I think he assumes we're dating," Logan said, "He made some comment about the meal."

_But we're not like that, _Max thought, about her and Logan. "The meal?"

"He ate your lunch!" Logan added with a laugh.

Max stared at the mess he'd left. _Seriously, what a jackass! And a slob, too!_ Max noticed it was pasta- she loved eating pasta with Logan! Scratch kicking his ass, she was going to kill him! "Well now he owes me. After I beat the crap out of him, he's taking me out to eat, you, too, Logan. He can pay for both of us."

Logan smiled, he obviously wasn't as worked up as Max. "I really wouldn't want him there if it was you and me going out." That really hadn't come out the way he wanted it to.

He had that look in his eye. He was gonna try to make a move again, or have the relationship talk. Maybe not, but Max could tell he wanted to. She suddenly didn't know why she was there. He had no new information, and she didn't have anything left to say. "So I probably should be heading out. They're expecting me at work anyway. I'm lucky to still have my job! OC came through for me once again."

Logan nodded. He smiled, but his eyes looked sad. He didn't say anything, though. Max knew he wouldn't. In a way, it made her feel more guilty.

Max smiled back. "I'll give you a ring later. I mean it this time! Oh, that reminds me, how 'bout I get my phone. I don't want to have to use a pay phone again."

Logan left to get it, but it seemed he was gone a long time for just going to another room to pick up a phone.

When he came back he looked pissed, for the first time since she'd gotten there. He'd been pretty calm and happy the whole time, but now he looked upset. "What is it?" Max asked.

"Ben, whatever the hell his name is, took your phone. That must have been why he came here."

"What?" Max cried. "You have got to be kidding me! So this jackass now has my phone! Always a gentleman… my ass!" She couldn't wait to get her hands on him. He really would regret being such a pain in her ass.

"Well what do I do?" she asked, "I don't know him! I don't know his name, I didn't find anything about him. Just that he is a jackass!"

Logan shrugged.

Max had an idea, "Wait, he's got my phone. You have that number, Logan, can't you trace it?"

Logan shook his head. "Max, that was the whole point of that thing. It was specially designed so that no one can trace it- not even me."

_Damnit!_, Max thought. She couldn't remember a time where she'd been so pissed off.

She felt her pocket vibrating. _Perfect timing, as usual_, she thought of her pager. It was Cindy. "Shit!" she said, "I really am late. That's the last thing I need on top of all this- that jackass getting me fired! I've got to go."


	14. A Chance Meeting

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters  
**slight recap: Max finally found Zack for the 1st time since he took a bullet for her. She tried to find out about her other siblings, only to find that Zack didn't feel like sharing. Before she could learn more about Zack, he disappeared in typical Zack fashion.  
-In looking for Zack, she stumbled upon 494, taking him to be Ben without seeing his bar-code. His personality shows he is not Ben, but Max still doesn't know who he is or why he came to Seattle.  
-494 in his mind came to Seattle because of Max. He doesn't know why, but upon the sight of her through a Manticore mission to ID her, he noticed that they had a connection, though they had never met. He is trying to figure out more about Max in hopes of figuring out their connection, which led him to Logan Cale.  
-so it continues...**

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**

**Chapter 14: A Chance Meeting**

When Max came back from work, she noticed a note had been slipped under her door. She recognized the author just by the way her name was written on the front. It was from Logan.

She hadn'tspoken to him in 2 weeks now. She just didn't have anything to say to him! Plus she'd been really busy- that wasn't just an excuse. For the past 2 weeks she'd been looking all over town for one guy- Ben's lookalike. The problem was she didn't know where he would be hanging out at. She'd tried a couple other tattoo places with no luck. She went to wrestling matches figuring he might cheat for money with no luck. The last time she'd seen him was here in her apartment.

Maybe she'd gotten lucky and he'd skipped town. She was still reeling from her last conversation with him, if you could call it that. After searching for him for 1 week, she had given in and called her cell phone, hoping she could find out something, or reason with him. She could hear it all over again, angry just at the thought.

_"Hello?" he had answered._

_"What, you're answering like this is your phone or something." she couldn't help herself from saying._

_"Maxie!" He sounded amused. Just what she wanted to hear._

_"Where are you?" she demanded._

_"Aww…you missed me. That's really sweet of you Maxie."_

_"Look, cut this crap okay. I want my phone back, and I want some answers"  
__  
"No worries, Max. You're really not that popular- nobody has called here. Except that Logan guy, sorry I didn't pick up to get the message though."_

_"I give up, okay. I'm done fighting you." It of course was a lie. She just wanted some answers right then, though._

_"In that case, there's no point in continuing this conversation. Bye, Maxie. Try not to miss me too much." And with that he hung up._

What had he meant by that anyway? It seemed his whole purpose of being there was too bother her until she couldn't take anymore.

Max drew her attention back to the note in her hand. She opened it up to see what Logan had to say. _Max, thought you'd like to know, it seems there's a team of some Manticore goons around the area. They haven't caused any trouble yet. I'm assuming they are the follow-up from my mistake the night with Zack. And also, keep watch on the news, there is serious thieving going on which to me seems like it's coming from someone enhanced. Maybe it's that team, but I doubt they came here just to rip off some rich, lonely, old guys. I'll be in touch. Logan._

He was still taking the fall for that trap from weeks ago. He didn't seriously think that was why they were kind of off lately, did he? Actually, Max really didn't know why they weren't clicking lately, but she knew it had nothing to do with that trap. Maybe it was just because they were so busy they couldn't even spend time together.

Max heard the keys turn in the lock, and before she knew it, OC walked in. "How's my boo?" Cindy asked.

Max shrugged.

OC frowned, "Still ain't found your guy?" Cindy was actually talking about Zack, but Max hadn't found either one of them. Both could easily have been long gone by then. "Well, listen. You've been out searching, having no fun for 2 weeks straight- I'm sick of it. We need to go out tonight! Forget about that search for one night, you got it, boo?"

Max thought about Logan's note. There was a good chance a group from Manticore was somewhere, searching for her. Of course, what were the chances they would be hanging out at Crash? Besides, Max was always aware of her surroundings. If they were out, she would definitely spot them before they spotted her. She brushed Logan's warning away. "You know what? That is a great idea! I swear- I'm done thinking about anything tonight but having fun!"

--------------------------

Sketchy waved over at OC and Max as they walked in. "Geez, what took you guys so long? We've already had a round of drinks!"

"Looks like you've had more than that." OC answered.

"It was my fault," Max explained.

OC brushed it off, "Who cares? Original Cindy and Max arehere now. And it looks like Max and I have some catching up to do, beers! Please!"

Max was actually laughing a little later on. She was having a great time! She loved hangin out with her friends, and she didn't get the chance to do it that often.

OC nudged her, "So. You gonna look for a boy tonight?"

Max's mouth opened, "OC! No more searching, remember?"

OC laughed, "Come on, Boo,Original Cindydon't mean that boy, I mean one here. Just, you know, have some fun." OC had that look in her eye. She was always trying to get Max to loosen up and have fun. How could Max resist tonight, though, when she was having a good time, and had a few drinks besides! "All right! Give me a minute." Max obliged. They had this secret, girls only kind of thing. Max had to scan the place, and pick out a guy, otherwise OC would pick one for her!

Her eyes darted all over the room. It was a full house tonight! Everyone looked like they were having a good time. She didn't feel like talking it up with someone who was passed out- or hooking up. She finally spotted someone at the end of the bar. His back was turned toward her and plus he had 3 girls, chatting him up and blocking the view. Something about him drew Max toward him. Normally seeing a guy with a bunch of girls was a turnoff, but tonight she considered it a challenge. She blamed it on the beer.

OC followed her eyes, and had a look of surprise when she noticed who was holding Max's attention. "Him?" she asked in disbelief.

The look in Max's eyes answered her. She looked determined- holy crap, was she gonna go seduce him! This was a side OC rarely saw in her friend.

Max took one more swig of beer before turning to OC. "I'm going over there." she declared.

OC nodded, "All right. Sounds good. Just don't get all jealous on me and start kickin those girls asses!"

Sketchy, who had been pretty distracted with his own drunkenness, noticed Max leaving. "Hey, where's she goin? I was gonna get another round."

OC raised her brows at him, "Another?" Then she turned her focus to Max. What was that girl doin?

Max felt kind of strange right then, but she liked it. It was like all her tension with Logan was coming out here. She didn't want to work for anything. She just felt like grabbing whoever she wanted, doing whatever she wanted, and having no regrets or the 'relationship talk' afterwards. She walked over confidently, even seductively. Also strange to her face was a smile, genuine, not forced to help out with an awkward situation. _This guy better be hot_, she thought to herself, as she sat down beside one of the girls. She couldn't sit next to him, there were no seats, all taken by other girls.

They were all giggling and touching him. _Ugh_, Max thought. Girls could be so annoying sometimes.

One of them was really playing it up, complimenting him like he was the best thing ever. "I bet you could have any of these girls here, just by staring at them. Hehee!" she added that ever annoying girlie giggling crap at the end.

Max rolled her eyes. She wasn't exactly patient. Even though the whole situation was irritating, she still felt drawn to the guy, she wanted him. And when Max wanted something, she didn't wait- she went after it. She tapped the girl next to her. The girl turned around and Max gave her a look. The girl looked scared, and got up and left. _Yea, that's right,_ Max thought, _get lost!_ She could be incredibly intimidating when she wanted to be. Even when she didn't want to be. It didn't matter, though. These kind of girls had plenty of other guys to talk to, but not Max. Max wanted this one. What was funny was that this guy didn't even notice that one of his girls had left- he was too buy being admired by all the others around him.

One of the other girls was throwing some cheesy line at him when Max decided to make a move. He was right next to her now, his back to her, and she knew just the way to get his attention. She leaned in and was about to whisper something seductive in his ear when she heard his voice and felt her face grow pale.

"Come on, I couldn't have any of these girls just by looking at them. Well, I guess, maybe if I took my shirt off-" he started, still flirting with them all.

"I'll take your shirt off!" one of them said with a smile.

Max couldn't believe herself. For a minute she couldn't think about anything. She was just shocked. And suddenly, she found herself viewing the situation very differently. She was no longer overcome with desire for him- she wanted to punch his face in, and slap herself for that matter, for being so drawn to him- of all guys she could have picked! And instead she'd picked this jackass? Fate must have hated her.

Before she could catch him by surprise, he spun around, as if he'd just noticed her. For a moment the 2 stared at each other, her furious and confused brown eyes staring into his surprised and almost vulnerable green eyes with golden flashes.

"This isn't your girlfriend, is it?" one of the bimbos said, wanting the attention back to herself.

"Yes," Max blurted, "and what the hell do you think you're doing?" She was asking him, not the bimbo.

He shot her a cocky grin, which pissed her off even more. He was certainly enjoying himself. "Baby, it's okay, we're just talkin"

Max was raging. She didn't want to hear him say another word. She just wanted to kick his ass, why the hell not just do it right here? "Well, I think we are the ones that need to talk, don't you, _baby_?"

His grin only got bigger. He didn't even know Max that well, but she was so predictable. He could always count on her to get all worked up over the littlest thing. Though he didn't notice it with others, maybe it was just something he brought out in her. He didn't really care what caused it, all he knew was that it was incredibly amusing. "Maxie, come on, lighten up!"

That was it. She wouldn't sit there and play this game with him. "Get outside, now!" She got in his face, looking very aggressive. By now the bimbos had backed away.

"But, Maxie, I'm havin' a good time here, aren't you?" With that, he smacked her ass.

As soon as that hand touched her flawless behind, Max shoved him, without containing her strength. He flew a couple feet back, crashing into one of the tables, and it cracked in half. Poker chips flew in the air, and everyone looked their way. "Don't touch me!" she yelled, seething with anger.

"You know you liked it," he said, getting up. He noticed how everyone was staring at the 2 of them. "Well, I think you're right. I'm not having fun anymore, let's go outside."

OC could not believe her eyes, "Max, are you all right? What's goin on? You're datin' this guy?"

Max found her composure, luckily, just in time to not look like a complete psycho in front of everyone. She'd already drawn attention to herself, but hey, it was a club, there was a bar, fights happen. "We know each other from a while back," she explained, still extremely tense.

494 took the moment to try and leave unnoticed. Max turned to Cindy, "I gotta go. Don't worry about me!" She ran outside to catch him before he could disappear again.

OC stared at the poker chips and the pieces of the table lying on the ground. "Oh, it's not you I'm worried about!"


	15. Alec

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters  
-**thanks for the reviews... another chapter with MA...

**

* * *

**

**Chapter 15: Alec**

Outside, it didn't take long for Max to spot him. She shoved him again, "You're unbelievable, you know that?"

"Yea, that's what the girls usually say after a night at my place."

She shoved him again. This time he grabbed her arms and pinned her to the wall. He held his face right in front of hers. "You wanted to talk?" He loved having her this close to him. Toying with Max was so much fun. He was also enjoying that he was immune to her today. Before, it was like just at her touch, he was under her control. In their 2 weeks apart, he'd managed to get out from under her spell.

"Well, yea, I did before, but now I just wanna kick your ass. If you don't let go of my arms in 5 seconds, I'm not gonna hold anything back."

He released her, only because he really was curious about what it was she had to say. In his 2 weeks away from her, he had tried to find out something about her, but found it was just driving him nuts. So he'd made up his mind to just forget about her. He'd been bar-hopping the past few nights, and it sure seemed to work. He was no longer taken at the sight or touch of her, though he couldn't deny how beautiful she was.

Her mood changed suddenly, he had no idea why. She must have been trying to pull some sort of trick. "I did want to talk. You know, ever since you left my apartment, I can't stop thinking about you. I didn't know what it was!" She spoke with desire, not anger.

It was true, Max realized as she said it. She couldn't stop thinking about him. Somehow he got all inside of her, without even speaking, he drove her crazy. "But seeing you here, I know why." She stared at him with eyes full of desire, but he could see right through it. He'd let her think she had him though.

"You know, Max, lots of girls can't stop thinking about me, it's nothing to get so worked up over." He flashed her that smart ass grin.

She shoved him against the wall, something he wasn't expecting. She stared up into his eyes and spoke softly. "Stop talking and kiss me," she said, giving in to her desires.

He didn't know why he listened. He had spent the past several days trying to get away from the thought of her. _But you stayed here_, he thought to himself, _you could have gone somewhere else_. He kissed her with desire he didn't realize he had for her until it was unleashed in that kiss. She kissed him back, wrapping her fingers around his head. Her full lips felt so amazing against his. He opened his mouth for more, but she backed away.

He stared at her, waiting for her next move.

"I want to do something," she said, looking so innocent yet sexy at the same time.

Again, he waited, letting her have her way. He wanted to know what exactly she was planning. This had to be some kind of trick, but all he could do was wait for her next move.

She smiled at him, looking so beautiful. "Turn around," she said sweetly, more asking than demanding. Once he was around she started massaging his neck. He stopped caring what she was planning, and just enjoyed the moment, hoping it would last.

As Max was massaging his neck, she kept staring. The bar-code. It was back, and now as she massaged his neck, she saw it full force, the lie staring her in her face. He had definitely lied. _494._ She felt her anger coming back. She knew he'd lied, she didn't know why she hadn't just beat it out of him. She could have seen it some other way, in a fight or something. Why the hell had she kissed him? And why had she actually liked it? It made her even more upset, knowing this ass could somehow pleasure her. She didn't know whether to be disgusted with herself or him. Either way, she had her answer now, she would stop this little charade. She let go of his neck.

He spun around, staring into her eyes. He could see it- something had changed again. She looked back to her old self, ready to kick his ass, but restraining herself. He grabbed her arm, "Do you want me to kiss you again, Max?"

She yanked herself free in disgust. "Don't touch me!"

"Come on, Maxie, we were finally having some fun!"

"What's your name?" she asked him.

"If I tell you, are we gonna get back to you massaging me?"

"What is your name?" she asked again. She was quickly losing the little patience she had.

"Ben," he replied, not knowing what else to say. He didn't have a name to himself, other than his number.

She slapped him upside the head.

"Ow!" he said, even though it hadn't hurt. "Now what the hell was that for? My kiss wasn't that bad, was it? You sure seemed to like it a moment ago."

She slapped him again, "Listen! This isn't funny, okay, this isn't some game. I'm sick of the lies. First, you just disappear after lying to me about staying. Then you steal my phone, which by the way, I really would like back. Then you head over to my.." She stopped, not really knowing what to call Logan.

"Boyfriend's?" he answered, mocking her because of it. "Yea, like I said on the phone, I know who Logan is. Whowould have thoughta little pasta was all it would take for Maxie to be yours."

"He's not my boyfriend!" Max declared, hitting him again, and not really knowing why it bothered her so much that he thought they were dating. "And that's right- you ate my lunch! You owe me a meal for that." She realized she was getting off track. "That's not important right now, though. You pretended to be Ben, someone I really care about, and have been looking for. I was actually happy when I saw you. Until you opened your damn mouth. Now like I said, I'm sick of the lies. Fess up. You aren't Ben, I saw your bar-code, 494."

"Oh, is that what that whole charade was all about?"

"Yea." She answered, though strangely feeling like she was lying. She really didn't know why she had chosen that way to see his bar-code.

"Listen, Maxie, I'm not the only one lying here. And I'm not the only one playing games. You knew all along I wasn't Ben, but you kept it up."

She slapped him again. This time he grabbed her arm and shoved her against the wall, hard, her head was bleeding. She leapt in the air, and dove at him, planting both feet into his stomach before using her feet to kick him to the ground. She leapt on top of him and started punching him.

He managed to flip her over and now he was on top of her. No one really knew who was winning, they were both just beating each other, till one of them stopped. It was 494 that stopped. He held her firmly underneath him, not letting her hit him again. He stared at her while she struggled not to be free but to hit him again. He let her punch him as he used his now ripped shirt to wipe some of her blood away from her face.

She stopped hitting him when she realized what he was doing. He was actually being affectionate, like he was trying to take care of her, instinctively. She was more confused than ever, laying there, feeling weak, and frustrated. She decided to stop fighting him, and just be straight. She grabbed his arm gently as he went to wipe her face again, and just stared at him, indicating for him to stop.

"So, what are we gonna call you?" she asked, acting as though they hadn't just finished beating the crap out of each other. "I mean, I _could_ keep calling you asshole, but people might start to think I'm a bitch."

He stayed on top of her. "A girl like you should call me Sexy Daddy." He said, giving her that grin. _That damn grin!_ "Don't worry about looking like a bitch, Max. Most people already think you are one."

She glared at him, and shoved him off of her. Staring at that smirk, she thought of something. Clearly, he didn't have a name. He would have fessed up by now. She liked the name that popped in her head. He was, afterall, a smart ass.

"Why are you smiling now, Maxie? Thinking about our kiss?"

"I thought of a name for you," she declared, getting to her feet again. "Alec," she stated.


	16. I'm All Yours

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters  
**sorry MA people! MA is not dead, but this is necessary. We all know that Max upon realizing her feelings is going to deny deny deny! And sorry, this is predictable, so this won't spoil anything, but of course, she will run to Logan for that feeling of normalcy that she's always seeking... at least have hope that once she realizes how she truly feels for Logan, she can become open to feelings for Alec..  
-note, if you haven't noticed, Max is beginning to think of Ben a lot. To give a heads up- Ben is important to this story. Also, any Zack fans (which includes me!) he hasn't disappeared forever.  
-A/N: i honestly didn't realize this was going to be rather long. the chapters I feel are short, so I didn't mind having a greater amount of chapters. but I will be up front- this is, clearly, a longer fic than most. Thanks for sticking around and letting me know your input! I also didn't say at the beginning, but this is the 1st DA fic i've written, and really the 1st fic i've been serious about, so I really do appreciate the reviews!  
enough of my blabbering! back to the story...

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**Chapter 16: I'm All Yours**

Alec laughed, but didn't say anything.

"What?" Max asked.

"No, it's cool. I guess I don't know what to say- I've never had a name before." He regretted saying it immediately. He hated being all sentimental. She seemed to bring out things in him he didn't want to admit he had.

It was her turn to laugh, "Alec, you _really_ have nothing to say? Well, this is a first! What, did I hit you one too many times?" Her light-hearted attitude changed when she finally took in what had just happened- she stared at all the fresh cuts and bruises on his skin, and his shirt, dabbed in her own blood. What was going on with her? She hated the effect he had on her. She'd never acted so childish and reckless as far as she could remember.

Instead of answering her with another smart ass remark, he stared at her, in awe, still not knowing what to say.

_Why is he staring at me like that?_ Max found herself uncomfortable, she really didn't like the way she was feeling. It was like she actually cared about him- this jerk that she barely knew. She couldn't possibly like him, he was just an ass! He knew nothing about really caring for someone. Heck, she'd just found him in a bar, enjoying himself around easy women. He was definitely not her type.

"So…my phone?" she asked.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the crushed remnants of what used to be her phone. Max stared horrified, "You broke it! And you're telling me, you actually had my phone in there, with those girls all over you! Tell me you weren't giving out my number to that trash."

"Oh come on, you could use some friends, Max. I noticed you had all of 3 numbers in here- and only one guy. You really need to get out more. Oh that's right, I forgot, you've got a boyfriend tying you down." He flashed her a grin.

"No one is tying me down, and besides, who cares even if someone was? It's not like I've met anyone that I'd really regret passing up."

"Ouch! Maxie, that hurts. I thought we had something."

_How nice of you to be in such a joking mood!_, Max thought. She was getting annoyed again. Somehow, she had ended up losing again in all this. He was just enjoying himself, while she had officially had her fun night at Crash ruined.

"What I have for you," she insisted, knowing inside however how completely untrue it was, "is pity. You looked pretty pathetic in there, needing to be surrounded by easy girls just to feel good about yourself."

Alec frowned, but it still looked like he was joking, "So you do feel something. Anyway, those weren't girls- if you didn't notice, they were beautiful women, and all the guys were pretty jealous in there. Nothing to worry Max! Even though I could have any of them, you don't need to get all jealous- I'm all yours." Alec hated that he felt like he actually meant that. He had said it as a joke, but he couldn't deny its truth. No matter how hard he tried, Max really did leave quite an impression. None of the girls he'd met in the past few days, or in his days at Manticore measured up. At least if he joked about it, he wouldn't be focusing on how true it was.

_I'm all yours._ Max felt something inside of her leap when he said that. She felt like it was right, and found herself glowing. This was a feeling she wasn't used to, and she wasn't sure how to handle it. _What the hell is going on here?_ She found herself thinking again.

She took herself back to soldier mode, deciding to deal with all this emotional crap later. This wasn't Ben, this was Alec. But then where _was_ Ben? She found herself needing to know where Ben was. "Can you be honest with me?" she asked.

Alec threw his head back, he hated being serious. _I think this is the part where I leave_, he thought to himself. He really wasn't sure why he was still standing there anyway. "Maybe later. I've got stuff to do right now."

"What, like pick up more girls? I mean, seriously, haven't you asked yourself exactly why the hell you are here? We are special, Alec. We have more to do in life than hang around bars."

"Oh, is that what you were doing in there? Fulfilling your better purpose? I see you are with an Ordinary. I would have expected better for an X5, but hey,I guess heis one hell of a cook."

She glared at him. "Keep Logan out of this. You've been at Manticore for a while, right. I don't know how long you've been out, but not even having a name, you must not be too familiar with being free- have they captured anyone else?" Her eyes scanned his for anything.

Alec backed away from these types of situations. He didn't ask questions, he didn't get involved. She could enjoy herself with these conspiracy theories. He couldn't handle this right now. "Max, you go and have fun exploring the meaning of life. I'm outta here." With that he literally ran away.

Max could have chased after him but she was tired. Not really too tired to run after him, just tired of being around him. Tired of the way he made her feel. She hated it. She couldn't understand it.

Staring at the pieces of her phone on the ground she moaned in annoyance. Now she would have to pay Logan a visit, he was the only one who could get her a new one and still have it so secure. _Now snap out of it!_, she told herself. _You care about Logan, _Logan _is the kind of guy you want to be with, not Alec. _Although Max typically denied her feelings toward anything, she knew that even when she and Logan insisted on not 'being like that', they really were. People who weren't like that didn't act the way she and Logan did.

Maxfound herself remembering how safe, uncomplicated, simple, and wonderful she felt when she was around Logan. She hadn't felt that for weeks. She wanted to visit him. Besides, since she hadn't spent the night looking for whatever Logan had mentioned in the note, she could ask him more about that.


	17. I Want You

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of these characters  
-**apologies to MA fans, but this is the necessary ML chapter!

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**Chapter 17: I Want You**

Max had a horrible knot in her stomach as she knocked on the door. She felt guilty, which made her uneasy. She'd ignored Logan's note and never bothered calling him back. She had made sure to look her best before coming over. She actually wore a dress. Maybe that was why she felt so uncomfortable right then- yea, that must be it. She didn't like wearing it, but she knew Logan would appreciate it, and she felt like she owed him, so she'd just bare with it for the night.

Logan opened the door but didn't say anything, he just had an odd look. He was clearly taken at the sight of her, but he remained silent. He had been planning on focusing on business this evening. Max hadn't contacted him for over 2 weeks now, and he didn't want to push anything upon her. He couldn't pretend like she hadn't hurt him, but seeing her standing there, looking absolutely beautiful, he didn't quite know how to react. He was going to try not to speak much. He didn't want to get so attached to her, but he feared he already was.

Max nodded with a warm yet awkward smile. _Well, he sure isn't making this easy!_, she thought. She had called him earlier from a pay phone but he didn't answer. So instead, she'd just put on a dress and her best smile and come right over. "So, I decided to actually knock this time," she tried to joke. "Can I come in?"

Logan finally found his voice again. "Of course," he said moving aside so she could enter. What was she doing exactly? Not talking to him for 2 weeks then coming like this? Logan wasn't good at reading Max lately, he wanted to be hopeful, but wouldn't allow himself to. He decided to stick to business in spite of what his heart wanted right then.

"I assume this is about the note?" he asked, walking over to the computer to gather some of his files.

Max frowned. He hadn't even reacted. It wasn't like she wore a dress out of the sheer pleasure of it.

He came back with some files, not even looking her in the eye. "It seemed there was a Manticore team in town for the past several days. Actually, the day I last spoke with you is when I first heard about it."

"So why didn't you tell me sooner?" Max asked.

"I wanted to be sure about it this time."

Max couldn't help getting annoyed. Why was he _still_ so concerned with his false tip? He clearly had learned his lesson, they both had. Max was definitely over it. What, did he think fixing that mistake would somehow bring them back to the way they used to be? "You know, it's not a big deal, Logan. That was over 2 weeks ago. I really am over it." When exactly was he planning to comment on her dress? She thought she would at least get a smile out of him.

Logan ignored her last comment and kept to his business. "I am certain that Manticore had a team here for the past week and a half. However, just when I was getting good information about their numbers and ranks, they disappeared. I believe someone took care of them. Manticore wouldn't exactly give up, so I don't think they left by choice."

"So what are you saying?" Max asked. If he was going to go into his theories with her right now, he could at least get to the point.

"I think one or possibly 2 of your X5 family is here, or was within the past few days. There is a good chance they are still here." He paused, "Of course, I wasn't going to tell you until I knew more. But since you are here, I might as well fill you in. There have been thefts going on that seem to be the work of an X series. I don't know whether the thieving and the Manticore team are connected."

_Which means he knows nothing_, Max thought, _just the usual unconfirmed reports_. She sighed. She really didn't feel like going over this with him. She smiled, and tried to get him to quit talking about Manticore for once. She stepped closer toward him, and grabbed the files, making him stare at her. He still was silent. Now she was getting upset.

"Is this all you have to say?" she asked without raising her voice.

Logan took a moment. He had a lot more he wanted to say. But he didn't want to just make things worse. "What do you want, Max?"

Max couldn't believe he was asking that. She was here wasn't she? She had gotten all dressed up, hadn't she? She tossed the files to the ground and then brought her attention back to Logan. "What do _you_ want Logan?" she asked. "Why is it that 2 weeks ago you brought up going out, and yet I'm standing here, and all you can bring yourself to discuss is more theories about Manticore? You know, I am not just some X5 series experiment from Manticore, Logan. I think it's clear what I want. What do you want? Is it just an errand girl to chase after your theories?"

"Max, I've spent the last 2 weeks trying desperately to search for your brothers and sisters, giving you space, trying to give you whatever you needed. Things were good with us, I don't know what happened. I haven't changed."

"Are you suggesting I have?" Max asked. The thought scared her.

Logan didn't answer. He didn't know what to say that wouldn't set her off.

"You didn't answer my question," Max pressed, "What do you want?"

Logan didn't want to say it. He'd been trying to think of Max as a business associate, he thought it was what she wanted. He didn't want to admit that he needed her, that he was vulnerable to her. He knew if he opened his mouth, he wouldn't be able to stop. He would go on about how she was the best thing that ever happened to him, how he couldn't imagine his life without her, how he missed her desperately even if she was only away for a couple of days, how he admired her passion for others, how he saw how beautiful she was inside and out, how his life before her all appeared meaningless looking back on the time spent without her.

"Well damnit, Logan, I want you." She allowed herself to say it, she willed herself to say it. She said it more for herself than for him. She told herself she wanted him. She had to want him. She couldn't bare the thought of not wanting him, it would mean he was right- that she'd changed somehow.

Logan couldn't contain himself any longer, he took Max into his arms and kissed her, showing her his passion for her.

Max was relieved, finally he was responding. Why had he been fighting it? She felt his gentle lips against hers, it felt right. As he wrapped his arms around her, she found herself enjoying the moment. She felt his warm, gentle, touch. He grabbed her arm gently, and moved his hand from her shoulder to her hand. He took a moment to be a gentleman, grabbing her hand, and kissing it. "Max," he began.

_Oh, Logan,_ Max thought, _don't ruin the moment!_ It had to be coming. The relationship talk. She had been lucky to even get a kiss and embrace out of him before he slipped it in there.

"I really care about you," he admitted. He finally allowed himself to smile. "I am so sorry that my insecurities got in the way." He reached out toward her, and she found that he had touched a spot that still had a bruise, fresh from last night. She shoved the thought of Alec aside, and continued to focus on Logan, as he kissed her again.

As he opened his mouth, she held her eyes shut, and kissed him back. _Yes!_, she thought, _finally!_ She was so glad she'd escaped the relationship talk, although she knew it would come later. As she felt his tongue, she found herself remembering another kiss. Through her enjoyment, she was remembering Alec, as if she were kissing him again right then. She was shocked. She backed away from Logan. Why was she thinking of Alec right then?

Logan stared into her eyes. He had screwed up. They were moving too fast. After not speaking for 2 weeks, of course Max would need some space and time before they went further.

Max suddenly looked unsure of the situation, and looked apologetically at Logan. "You know, I have somewhere to be."

"Is that why you're all dressed up?" Logan asked jokingly.

"Yea, it's this party OC is having," Max lied. Suddenly she didn't want Logan to know she'd gotten dressed up for him.

Logan nodded. "Well, I guess you better get going then."

"Right." Max nodded with a smile. She took a moment. She wanted to give Logan something so he wouldn't still think something was wrong with the 2 of them. She picked up the files off the floor and handed them to him. "So, I need a new cell phone, Alec broke it."

"Alec?" Logan asked. While he had told Max everything he knew, she hadn't filled him in.

"Ben, remember. I said it wasn't Ben. His name is Alec."

He nodded.

"Logan, keep me posted about this thieving going on. Even if it's not one of my brothers or sisters, I want to know who is behind this."

Logan agreed. He was relieved. It seemed they were back to normal- better than that even. But Max couldn't help that she was incredibly busy. At least she'd taken time to straighten things out with him. He smiled toward her, stroking her face gently. "I'll be on it, Max. And Eyes Only may have something else in a few days."

His touch felt awkward toward her, but she didn't show it. Right now they both needed to know that things were normal again between them.

As she turned to leave, he finally said it. "By the way, Max. You look beautiful."

After Max left, Logan couldn't help still smiling. She had looked amazing. He kept hearing those words go through his head, it was more than he had hoped for. _Logan, I want you_.


	18. Dreams of the Past

**DISCLAIMER: i dont own these charactersunless it isnew never mentioned in the show**

**AN: **i am so sorry the updates are now coming slow. all i can say is i havent given up on this but right now i have very limited internet access, so i apologize for the lengthy time in between updates now. i still appreciate a good review tho, so let me kno if this is still going alright or if it needs work. thanks!

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**Chapter 18: Dreams of the Past**

Alec sifted through the results from his latest scam. He had pulled a good amount of money. Who would have thought Seattle would be such a great place for this type of work? On the outside it looked like a quaint little meaningless area, but there was still some good money here. He still would need to hit a couple more places up. After that, he could probably enjoy his gains for the next few months without any worry- even have a good amount for security. He wondered where he'd go next, and laughed as a thought came to him. Maybe he would hit up Logan's.

_Max would kill me_, he thought. But why should he care what Max thought, if she were to get upset? It didn't matter what he did it seemed, she was always mad about something. He thought of the other night, licking his lips again, picturing Max, still having her taste upon them. _Damnit_, he thought. He was getting nowhere with this.

He'd escaped Manticore just so he could figure out what his connection was with Max. It seemed the more he was around her, the more far off the answer seemed.

He thought about what Max said. They had some special purpose. He didn't want to believe it. Why shouldn't he be allowed to have some fun in a bar? It wasn't like he chose to be this way- have this bar-code, have these enhancements. He groaned. She had him getting all serious and she wasn't even there. He even found himself feeling slightly guilty about the money in his hands.

He stared around himself. This was a nice place. He had scouted it for a couple days- the owners were clearly on a long vacation, probably somewhere warmer and exotic. They wouldn't be back for months. He could at least allow himself to sleep here for the night. He pushed all thoughts of Max, his questions, and his guilt away as he allowed himself to sleep one of the comfiest beds he'd seen in a long time.

"_494, time for your shot." 494 moaned as he got up. He really didn't like this damn ritual. He didn't feel like it today. He wished they would tell him what the hell they were injecting him with._

"_Can't you just forget about it today?" he asked, phrasing it like a joke. He didn't want to ruin his image as the good, devoted soldier._

"_No." was all the answer he got. Next he felt the strange chemical enter his body._

"_Yea, I didn't think so," 494 said, wondering why a man was administering it today. Normally it was a lady who seemed to have taken a liking to 494. She was a lot more friendly than this grump._

"_So what is that stuff, anyway?" 494 asked as the doctor sanitized his skin where he'd just administered the shot._

_The doctor didn't answer him, and left without another word._

_494's cellmate, who was normally silent, surprised 494 as he spoke. "You wanna know what it is?" he asked 494._

_The golden light in 494's green eyes sparked with interest. His cellie didn't speak unless it was another one of this "truths". But 494 never had been one for conspiracy theories. He didn't want to seem too involved in questioning anything. "I don't care," 494 lied, "I was just chatting it up. He isn't much talk like the other doctor. What happened to her?"_

_His cellmate looked around, making sure no one was watching before answering. "Her own selfish desires overcame her," he said mysteriously. He had always been pretty creepy, always full of crazy ideas. 302 was too much for 494 sometimes. He was always blabbering about theories, conspiracies going on. Of course, as part of a secret government project, who could blame him? But 494 tried to think of his life as normal- if he didn't bother with questioning everything he seemed to enjoy himself enough. _

_494 remembered the time that 302 had told him another crazy theory. It was when they first became cellmates. It was also then that 494 knew he was crazy. "They put you here," 494 could remember the words of 302, "We are meant to be cell mates, to test you. Did you know you are being tested, even here in this cell?"_

"_Shut up," 494 had responded at the time. "I just want to sleep. This was totally random cell assigning."_

"_No," 302 wouldn't listen. "I know the truth. They think I'm crazy. Sent me to Psy Ops. I would still be there if it wasn't for you, I guess I should thank you. I'm part of your test."_

_494 shoved a pillow over his head, trying to ignore his weird new cellmate, but he couldn't deny that the thought of these constant tests didn't bother him. Why couldn't he just do his job, do his missions, and then be left alone. _

_But 302 continued, "They want to see if you believe me- if you're influenced, if you're unstable- like your twin soldier."_

_494 removed the pillow and threw it at his cellie. "Shut up." He couldn't even bring himself to joke, he didn't like what he was hearing. The thought of himself being a twin bothered him. Wouldn't Manticore have told him that if it were true? His new cellie must be a real head-case._

_302 continued. 494 was starting to wonder if maybe it was an assignment, break down 494 from the utter annoyance of listening to 302's babbling. "You aren't like him, from what I hear. I never met him. But you certainly share the same DNA."_

_That was all 302 had said at that time, when they'd first met. Ever since then, he only opened up his mouth to ramble about other theories. By now, 494 had learned to completely ignore his bizarre theories. But he couldn't help being interested in what 392's take on these shots was._

"_So she got fired for being selfish? You really are a psycho." 494 replied._

_302 let out the quiet laugh of a crazy person. "I know the truth." It was something he always managed to say whenever he tried to share one of his ideas with 494. "She wanted you for herself. Refused to keep giving you the shots."_

_494 hated discussing this, these crazy ideas. But this time, he couldn't help himself. He had actually taken a liking to that doctor. "Now what do you mean by that?" he asked his crazy cellie. He had a worried feeling that his favorite doctor was in some type of danger._

"_She's gone," was the answer he got. Not good enough for his liking, "What does that mean?" He was getting angry, he grabbed 302 and held him up by his shirt. 494 was the dominant one, going out and training, going on missions, while 302 just sat in his cell all day long, keeping his mind occupied with his insane thoughts and his muscles relaxed._

"_They had to get rid of her," 302 explained at 494's aggressive action. "You really shouldn't have toyed with that one. She actually liked you, thought of you as more than a soldier. More than an experiment, more than a test subject to pick apart your twin's problems."_

_494 let go of his shirt, letting 302 fall to the ground, but still glared at him. He hated it when 302 brought up that twin crap. It just served as a reminder that he was completely deranged. He also didn't like people putting blame on him. He shouldn't care, he didn't. She was just some doctor. What did it matter if he was responsible for her departure, at least, that's what 494 told himself. He told himself that he just wanted to know what happened._

"_What does her liking me have to do with her not being here anymore. It's not like it would get in the way of standard procedures."_

"_She wanted you to herself. She was selfish," 302 answered._

_494 couldn't help getting upset. He didn't care about her, but she had always been a kind person. He didn't like 302 calling her selfish._

"_So what? What does that have to do with those shots?" 494 demanded._

_302 smiled creepily. He was genetically enhanced to look extremely attractive, but he had a crazy look in his eyes that took away from his charming features. "That is the right question," 302 responded. He was probably delighted that 494 was buying into one of his bogus stories._

_494 decided to drop it. This was ridiculous. There it was, 'that is the right question.' This was nothing more than another one of his crazy cellmate's psycho ramblings. It had nothing to do with truth, it was just his crazy talk coming through._


	19. Purpose

**DISCLAIMER: i dont own these characters**

thanks for the reviews... again sorry the wait for update

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Chapter 19: Purpose

Alec woke up with a start. He had been dreaming. No, not dreaming, remembering. He had been reliving his days back in Manticore. He suddenly realized he really was glad to be out of there. For a few days after his escape he'd told himself he wasn't sure if it was a good thing, him being on the outside. But thinking of it more, he was glad. That place was disturbing.

He found himself still confused. What if his crazy old cellmate had been right for once? Alec cursed, wishing he'd pressed it further back then. Maybe 302 really did know something about those shots. _Those damn shots_, Alec thought. Why did they bother him so much? He had gone along with so many procedures of Manticore, but he'd never felt comfortable with that. It really did make him feel like an experiment.

He shuddered at the thought. What if he was a twin, some mass produced DNA? A twin of Ben, who Max seemed to care about much more than him. Alec accepted it, the possibility. If he was a twin, being psycho analyzed to somehow explain Ben's errors, maybe it wasn't that big of a deal. It wouldn't be too much further of a stretch than what he already knew. It just was another problem to look over his shoulder about.

Alec was frustrated. He found himself wanting to find out more, something unusual for him. He felt that maybe if he found out what was in those shots he would finally have truly escaped Manticore.

_Maybe even escape Max_, he thought. He wanted the thought of Max to leave him. It wasn't bad when she wasn't there, but when she was around him, it seemed…

He didn't like the thought. It was what she'd said, talking about their better purpose.

Was Max Alec's purpose? He couldn't stay in this house, however nice, just thinking about it.

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Max was still wearing the dress. It didn't feel that comfortable, but then, nothing did these days. She didn't like it when the bad guy was her own unexplainable feelings. She found herself missing the days when she had a clear target to get rid of so she would feel secure again. She was sitting at her special place, atop of all Seattle, looking down at everything.

She allowed the tears to come. It had been a long time since she'd had a moment to be honest with herself. Her sadness was overwhelming- she didn't even realize quite how unhappy she was till this moment. She wished Alec could tell her why he was there. Maybe it would give her some insight as to why she was there. Why she remained, jeopardizing herself and people she cared about.

She found herself feeling a deep longing for Ben. Alec had his face. By now she saw how different they were, they really were 2 separate people. But she could really use Ben right now, he used to take care of her. He would calm her and comfort her even in the craziest situations.

_Well Logan did say one of my siblings was probably in town thieving, _she thought to herself. But she knew in her heart it wouldn't be Ben. She really didn't know why she was thinking of him so suddenly and so deeply. It was like the sight of Alec had woken something up within her, longing for Ben. She couldn't tell if it was sisterly love, but even after all these years, she still cared deeply for Ben.

Max found that even though she wanted to know all her family was safe and happy, she wanted to see Ben more than anything. Zack had told her he would check on the others. Would Zack know where Ben was?

Max wondered where Zack was. He had to be gone by now. Why couldn't she have brought herself to ask him? Why couldn't she have stayed with him to find out more, to help him? She still didn't know what had gone on with Zack during his absence. She wasn't sure she wanted to know. She had a feeling it was horrible. She didn't like living in denial, but she also didn't know if she could handle knowing what had happened to Zack because of her.

"Zack!" Max called out. No one would hear her, this high up. As she said his name, more tears came. She needed comfort, but no one was there to offer. She would have to be strong on her own. She hadn't chosen this life- it was placed upon her. She was different. She didn't have the luxuries of being vulnerable. If she allowed herself to show her heart, her enemies would play to her weakness. People would die. This was her path.

The moment was gone. Max felt better, stronger. She couldn't help but have moments like these sometimes. After all, she was partially human at least. As she stood up, her long hair flew in the breeze, along with her dress. She felt ready. She would need to catch this thief.

Max felt just about ready to leave when she noticed the wind change ever so slightly, indicating movement. She wasn't alone.


	20. Caught

**DISCLAIMER: I dont own these characters**

thanks for the reviews! i wish i had more time to work on this

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**Chapter 20: Caught**

Where was it? _There, _she noticed, as she dove to attack whoever had joined her without an invitation. She pinned the person down before realizing who it was.

"God, Alec! What are you doing up here?" she demanded.

He stared at her dress and started laughing, true delight shining in the golden specks of his green eyes. "What, is this your ass kicking outfit?"

She ignored the comment. "What are you doing here?" She knew he hadn't seen her cry, she would have noticed if she wasn't alone. He must have just arrived.

He stared deep into her brown eyes. They were sad, though full of spirit. Alec swallowed as he realized. She had been crying. And she would kick his ass if she knew that he'd noticed.

"I followed your scent," he answered truthfully. "I saw your bike. I never would have thought this is where you spend your time."

Max noticed the look in his eye, he was quick at hiding it but she'd seen it. He had caught her- he knew she'd been crying.

"You know that dress really is a good look for you, Max."

She rolled her eyes. At least he wasn't going to bring it up. Maybe she'd pretend like it didn't happen. "Let's not talk about it. And take a good look okay, because you will not see me in one of these ever again. In fact, I think I'm burning it as soon as I get back to my apartment."

Alec just flashed her a grin. It had worked, she wasn't focusing on her sorrows anymore.

"Now what are you smiling at?"

"Let me take you out tonight, Max." Alec blurted out.

Max raised an eyebrow at that. He was being uncharacteristically nice. Where was the smart-ass to nag her?

"I owe you, remember. The lunch at Logan's."

The mention of his name made Max sad. She didn't want to think about Logan tonight, not after what had just happened. "It's not lunch time anymore."

"Then we'll make it a dinner." He saw the look in her eyes. She wanted to. But she didn't want to admit it. He knew she didn't want to be alone. It was the only reason he offered. He felt drawn to Max. He had sought her out without really thinking about it, wanting to talk about Manticore. But Max didn't need to deal with that right now. It seemed right now she just needed some company. He'd have to play the lonely one to get her to go. "Okay, look. Lately I can't get the girls to leave me alone. I can't cook, so I have to go out. And I just want a meal in peace. With you there, it'll keep them away."

Max groaned, "Oh, you have got to be kidding me!"

"Sometimes a guy just needs his peace from the masses." He paused, "Besides, it would be a waste to not hit the town when you're all dressed up!"

Max punched him, but lightly, not using her transgenic strength, in the ribs. "Fine," she said. "But you know, you won't be alone, you'll be with me."

Alec didn't reply for once. The truth was, if Max was around, he did feel alone. He found himself feeling empty whenever he was around her, like he needed more of her to feel complete.


	21. A Strange Dinner

**DISCLAIMER: I dont own these characters**

Thanks so much for the reviews! I had a bit more time, this one is a little longer.

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**Chapter 21: A Strange Dinner**

Max couldn't believe Alec insisted on going to the most expensive place in town. That was something Logan would do. She shuddered at his name again in her head. She vowed not to think of him for the rest of the evening.

"So how are you paying for all of this?" Max asked.

"I've got some cash saved up. It's no big deal."

"You don't even have a job, right? Well, besides bothering me."

"Max, just admit you are having a good time. Even Logan wouldn't cook up something like this."

Max had a fire in her eyes at the mention of Logan. Maybe they were having problems.

"Please don't bring him up, okay."

"Is that what you were doing up there?" Alec couldn't help asking.

Max was silent. Why wouldn't he just admit he knew without her having to bring it up? Why couldn't he laugh about it- then she could be mad at him, instead of having to actually confide in him.

"Well, all the ladies look pretty jealous of you, Maxie! You're doing a great job being unapproachable, though. Nothing to keep people away like having Max around!" He was trying to piss her off so she would focus on being mad at him instead of whatever was bothering her. But she knew what he was doing.

Tonight Max was more perceptive than normal. She'd just spent an hour alone on top of the world honing her concentration and focus. She could tell tonight what Alec was doing.

"You know, on second thought, I might not have enough money. Do you think you could give those guys over there a dance or something? That might cover it."

Max also was more focused on her own motives tonight. She wanted Alec to be there. Any other night, she wouldn't have admitted it. Tomorrow she was sure she'd act like it was nothing. But tonight she was well aware of herself. She needed one of her brothers, and if not one of them, someone who really knew how it felt sometimes to be so different- someone that had lived at Manticore.

"I don't know, though, Max, how much do you think you would go for?"

"Alec." Max spoke.

_Come on, slap me_, he thought. "Yes, Maxie? I'm serious, you are lookin pretty sexy tonight, just bat your eyes and go over there."

"I know you saw me crying," she admitted. She couldn't believe she was going to confide in him.

"I didn't see you." Alec answered truthfully.

"But you know." How _did_ he know her so well?

"Who is Zack?" Alec asked. If she was going to be so uncharacteristically honest about herself, maybe she'd fill him in. He'd heard her shout the name.

Max's eyes actually filled with tears again. "He's my brother."

Alec cupped her face in his hands, wiping her tears. "Max," he said, seeing her sadness. She needed comfort. Alec was an expert at seeing what people wanted. Max wanted him to do it, she wouldn't admit it later. He wouldn't bring it up, either. But he gave her what she wanted right then.

Alec held Max in his arms, still surprised that Max would allow him to do this. _Does she really want me?_, he thought. Or was it because no one else was around.

Max rested her head against Alec's chest. She could feel his breathing against hers. She turned around, and stared into his eyes with her own, with him still holding her. She was studying his face.

Having Max within his arms felt amazing to Alec. He, too, would never admit how much he wanted this moment as well. But why was she staring at him like that?

Max reached up and stroked Alec's face. She finally spoke, "You look just like him. You're different- it's good I guess. But this close, the only difference is in your eyes."

Alec just stared back at her. She was talking about Ben. That was why she needed him tonight. She really needed Ben, and Alec happened to have his face. Alec suddenly felt used, even though he'd known he was being used the whole time, now it upset him. She hadn't chosen Alec for himself, she'd chosen him tonight for his face. He didn't tense however. He was still an expert at keeping his cool. He didn't show that it bothered him in the slightest. Besides, he could take this time to use her as well, maybe uncover some answers, since it wasn't like she would admit tonight happened in the morning.

"What was his number?" Alec asked.

**"493"** she answered, turning back around and just resting her head against his chest.

"What was he like?"

"He was… amazing. He knew how to calm me down, no matter what. He used to tell these stories." Max was glowing just talking about him.

Alec found himself jealous, an emotion he was not used to dealing with. Here he was, an X5 trained soldier, jealous of a childhood friend. Once again he didn't like or understand the effect Max had on him.

"When was the last time you saw him?"

"The night of the escape." She paused. "I want to find him again. Find all of them."

Alec wanted to ask her what Ben's problem was, why he was a failed soldier. She must not have known, she thought so highly of him. It must have happened after their escape. Was Ben possibly still back at Manticore? Alec couldn't ask her that, he knew she wouldn't know anyway.

"Did they give you shots, Max? Once a week?"

The question seemed to draw Max back to reality. She suddenly was aware of her surroundings, who she was with, what she'd just done. She lifted her head, and went back to her seat. She wouldn't run away ashamed, not now. She had gotten what she wanted after all, just a moment where it felt she was with Ben. At least that was how Alec took the situation.

_Was she thinking of Ben when she kissed me?_, Alec thought. He didn't want to know the answer.

"Shots?" Max answered, "I don't think so. Not when I was there. Of course, I was really young. You left a lot older than I did, right."

She'd actually helped him. She was right. Alec recalled that they didn't give shots to any of the younger ones. Maybe it did have to do with his age.

Alec didn't want to ask, but he couldn't help himself. This moment would be over with soon enough. It was already ending. "Do you think of Ben every time you look at me?" he asked.

Max didn't know what to say. She'd never seen his eyes so serious. Truthfully, Max only had seen Ben in him right then, in that moment. At all the other times, she'd seen Alec. Max reached out and grabbed Alec's hand. "Alec-"

Alec moved his hand away. He knew the moment was over. She didn't need comfort anymore, she didn't want him there. It was going to be awkward very soon. He would leave before that happened.

"I guess you won't have to do any dances tonight, Maxie. I've got just enough cash to cover the both of us." He flashed her that smart grin.

Max studied him before smiling. "Thanks, Alec. But I think I would have sold your clothes before that."

"You're only saying that cuz you want to see me naked."

Max rolled her eyes. She didn't know what it was about Alec. Normally he just drove her nuts. But tonight, he'd really come through for her.

"I don't owe you anything now, Max." he said. "Your phone- that was your own fault. That's what you get for trying to punch me."

Max smiled, "If I recall, I didn't just try. I did a good job, the phone is proof."

The waiter came to take their money before Alec could respond. The waiter stared, "One check?"

Alec nodded, "Yes, I'm taking out my girl here. Then we're gonna go back to my place and have some private fun!" He gave Max a devious sort of look.

Max kicked him underneath the table, staring apologetically at the waiter. "He is just kidding!"

Alec kept his grin, "No, I'm really not."

The waiter held a forced grin before taking Alec's money and walking away.

"Alec!" Max glared, "What the hell was that exactly!"

Alec shrugged, "Come on, Max. Everyone here can see that you want me."

Max ignored his comments. Normally, she would slap him. But somehow he'd turned a completely awkward and embarrassing moment of Max's into something normal. She would have thanked him, but this was Alec! He must have really felt like he owed her for doing all of this.

Whatever Alec's reasons, Max didn't care right then. She felt great, she'd just eaten a great meal, and she was definitely ready to face another one of her X5 siblings.


	22. Chasing Clues

**disclaimer: i dont own these characters**

i know its been a while, and sorry this is not a long chapter. thanks for the reviews and sticking with this fic!

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**Chapter 22: Chasing Clues**

It had been 5 days since the night Max had dinner with Alec. She knew that tonight, a Friday night, was the typical night that Seattle's very own Manticore thief was hitting. She had on some gear she used to use in her cat burglary days. She smiled at the thought, recalling what she was like before she'd met Logan. Not that she'd changed too much, but now she relied on Logan's money, and she had forgotten how much fun it was to go out like this at night, to for once be on the attack instead of defense, and for once not be blindly running from Manticore. This time however she wouldn't be stealing anything, just identifying the perp.

Her dinner with Alec still haunted her slightly. She hadn't seen him since, and she wasn't complaining. She hadn't seen Logan, either. Just spoken with him on the phone about where the next likely hit would be for this Manticore thief. Their conversations had been brief. Max hadn't wanted to see him. She didn't feel ready. After the night with Alec she really wasn't sure what she wanted.

That night, she had sought out comfort, but when the night was over, she realized that the thought of Ben was resting on her mind more than it should be. Was it just more of her childhood memories coming through, or did something happen that she didn't know yet to explain why she kept wanting to see Ben?

She realized that she didn't know if he was at Manticore or if he had successfully escaped. She hadn't seen him since 2009, on the night of the escape.

Though Max's thoughts and confusion troubled her, ever since her night on the Space Needle and the dinner with Alec she felt she had a better handle on things, namely on her emotions. She felt she had established good control now, and they were no longer getting the better of her.

She actually found herself looking forward to tonight. An excitement rushed through her as she parked a safe distance away from Logan's calculated location. The perp was following a pattern, not visible to the sector police, but with Logan's resources they'd discovered it. Whoever it was, they were always hitting on Fridays and they must have somehow gotten through to information about every wealthy man in town. They were hitting the wealthiest, starting from the top and working downward.

_But it'll all be over tonight_, Max thought, feeling more determined than ever. She was going to nail this thief, and maybe even find out some information about Manticore.

Max broke into the house easily with the information Logan had given her. There were 10 security guards, but no one would be expecting her to walk right in through the front door, where the advanced security system would surely catch anyone- anyone but a transgenic that is. Logan had hacked through the pattern of the alarm system. The knowledge of exactly where she could step along with her transgenic movement and memory made the task easy. She leaned against a wall, perfectly hidden, and waited. If Logan had calculated right, the thief would come sometime between the next hour.

Max took the extra time to speculate who it would be. She'd learned not to get her hopes up, but she wondered who it was. It definitely wouldn't be Zack. It definitely wouldn't be Ben. She found herself disappointed. Those were the 2 brothers she wanted to see the most. Maybe it would be a sister.

Max's thoughts were interrupted by something alarming.

"Max!" came a voice from somewhere she couldn't see.

Max jerked, almost setting off the alarms.

"Don't move!" came the voice that sent a rush to Max's heart. It was Zack.

"Zack!" She spoke in happiness and also surprise. She had never thought he would be the thief. Why would he do something so reckless?

"Max, you tripped a secret security system when you entered through the door. The police will be here in 2 minutes. We need to get out of here."

Max followed her way to the voice, moving with the speed of a transgenic. She almost fell on top of Zack, not realizing quite how close he was. Now she could see him. Her eyes also noted what was in his hand. The cord she'd used to come over the gate. He had removed all trace that Max had been there besides herself.

Max smiled at Zack. Sometimes his soldier routine annoyed her, like when he made them split up. How he demanded they never get attached. Even the way that he kept many details to himself, thinking it would help protect them all. But that was who Zack was, and he was right. Max was forever grateful that Zack acted the way he did. She grabbed his hand in soldier fashion, and they both ran to escape before the police arrived.


	23. The Next Hit

**Chapter 23: The Next Hit**

When they arrived at Max's apartment, they were unfortunately not alone. Original Cindy was there, as it was her apartment as well. She had an idea that Max had some heavy stuff going on, but she never asked Max or pried. She couldn't help, however, eyeing Max, taking note that both were all in black, and that this was yet another guy. The last guy OC had seen Max with was the one from Crash a while ago, who OC couldn't help but admit was pretty damn good looking, even if he was a man. This guy as well looked above your average Joe. Of course, Max was a gorgeous woman, Cindy wouldn't have expected anything less for Max. She wondered if she should ask questions, or take a moment to leave.

As Max stared at Cindy not sure what to say, while the guy just stood there, OC decided for them. She would head out, but hoped that Max would fill her in later. "Max!" Cindy said, greeting her. "Now I was just about to step out, wanna introduce me before I go?"

Max nodded, "Hey, sorry I didn't warn you ahead of time. I thought I was gonna be out for a while tonight. This is Zack." She gave Cindy a nod.

OC smiled, "Nice to meet you. Original Cindy will have to chat with you later." With that she walked out the door, noting the look Max had given her, _so that is the boy Max has been looking for._

Max frowned at Zack once Cindy had left. "Zack, you could have said hello. She's a friend of mine."

Zack was surprised. He didn't realize Max had made friends here. Of course, it made sense. It explained why she wanted to stay at the increasing risk of exposure. "Max," he spoke, trying to get to the point. He knew he would react this way, upon seeing Max this close. It didn't matter how much time they'd spent apart, she would always cause him to need a moment.

Max looked slightly different than the last time he'd seen her up close, even though that was not too long ago. She looked like she had a better handle on things. She had gone about that raid fairly well, the only reason Zack knew about the hidden 2nd system was because he'd been watching that house since last Friday. He'd seen them install the system the night before.

Max handed him a mug. "Coffee?" she offered.

Zack accepted gratefully, "Thanks. Sorry for being rude with your friend." He meant it. Although he didn't trust anyone easily, if Max wanted him to be polite, he would be sure to do so if he came across that girl another time.

Max smiled at his apology, and took the moment to figure out what was going on. She'd also made up her mind that she wouldn't let Zack leave this time, she would be stronger, and demand some information about their siblings. "So," she spoke softly, "Why are you stealing from houses in Seattle? Are you that low on cash?"

Zack stared for a moment in shock, "You think I'm the thief?"

Max noted the look on his face, it definitely wasn't him. "I didn't think it was you. But if it wasn't, I mean, what were you doing there?"

Zack explained, "I knew that was the next location. I'd been covering the area for a week."

"You've been here all week and only just now contacted me?" Max asked, slightly hurt. "Or did you have no choice when I set off the alarms and happened to ruin your cover?"

Zack didn't meet her gaze. He knew she was hurt, but he was only acting for her best interests. "I told you when I left that I was going to check on the others. I was just keeping watch like always."

Max worked hard to not let her emotions overtake her again. She knew Zack was clearly in charge of his own, if he had any. She spoke calmly, but firmly. She needed to know. "So have you been in Seattle this whole time? You never left?"

With anyone else, Zack wouldn't have answered, he would have been cold and to the point. But he cared about Max, and he could see she was hurt, even beneath the strong front she was putting up. "Max, I did leave, just like I told you. Really, have I ever lied to you? I don't understand why you wouldn't trust me after everything."

Max stared at him slightly ashamed. He was right. She did trust him, always. She just had to get used to living alone, and she needed to be strong enough to get some answers. At his words, however, she let go of her agenda, and hugged her brother, allowing herself to be completely sincere, as she always had been with Zack. She knew he had done everything for her, more than anyone else in her entire life, and he would do it again without question.

Zack felt Max brush against him, he wrapped one arm around her, the one that still was human. Her scent surrounded him. Moments like these were bittersweet. Max was all that he wanted, he would have loved nothing more than to be with her and devote his life to making her happy. But she didn't think of Zack in that way. He would have given anything for her to look into his eyes differently, but she would never see him as more than a brother. He had accepted that, he could live with that, if it meant Max was safe and happy. He couldn't allow his own selfish desires to come through even at this most tempting moment. He had to stay on task.

He pulled away, noticing a tear in Max's eye. He moved to brush it away for her, but she quickly did so herself. She was the one who brought them back to their conversation. "So, what is going on, then. You aren't the thief. Do you know who is?"

Zack shook his head, "No, but we need to find them immediately."

Max stared at him with a look of worry. "Is there some type of danger?"

"Besides exposure if this thief gets caught, they've already gotten the attention of Manticore. This puts you in danger, Max. That's something I have to stop. I don't think it's one of our siblings. I told them not to do something like this, in the spotlight. This person has been following a predictable pattern, even that owner knew he was next. He just had a 2nd system installed this week, due to the reports."

Max felt her heart sink. Zack didn't think it was one of their Unit. Max also felt that he was probably right. "But they are drawing attention to Seattle." Max realized.

"Yes, and the longer they keep this up, the bigger chance that you will be discovered. Are you sure you don't want to go to a different city?" Zack didn't know why he was asking, he knew what the answer would be.

Max actually considered it. She had so many other times. But she had friends, she wasn't just starting to consider Seattle a home anymore, it actually was a home to her now. She found her thoughts coming to Logan. He would surely feel guilty that once again he hadn't covered all his bases, though this time, Zack didn't seem upset.

"I can't leave," Max admitted, slightly embarrassed. She knew she was putting her own selfish desires above her own safety. She knew how much her safety meant to Zack.

Zack nodded. "Then let's find this thief!"

"How? We just ruined the hit tonight."

"Then the perp will be onto the next one." He gave Max a knowing look. They both knew who was next on the list. Logan Cale. Max stared at her watch. The thief could be there at that very moment!

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sorry that these updates have been sporadic and not much! this is the last i have for the moment... i will need some time to work on this and get back in the groove, so to speak. right now i am just too busy, but i still want to see this go where i'd planned all along. thanks again for reading, and sorry to leave this w/o more of a cliffer or more emotion! the next time i update, i really hope it is worth the wait. thanks for sticking around. Peace Out.


	24. The Thief

**DISCLAIMER: I don't own these characters**

If you've forgotten the story, I'll give you a quick update. There's a thief in Seattle, hitting up with a pattern, and Logan is next on the list. Zack is back in town after disappearing, and he and Max are going to tag team to get the thief, who they believe is a transgenic.

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**Chapter 24: The Thief**

Max made her way to Logan's faster than she ever had before. Zack knew that it would motivate her to move quickly- the thought of Logan being in danger. Zack felt a pang of annoyance, he wondered if she would move as quickly if it were him in danger, or if Logan would if the situation were reversed and Max were in danger. _It doesn't matter what he would do_, Zack thought to himself, _he wouldn't be capable of helping in any way_. Of course, Zack had to admit that sometimes Logan did prove some use to them. He had a great network of sources that Zack would never be able to acquire with the need to keep hidden and off the radar.

Max made a signal to Zack. It was soldier hand signals. Zack responded accordingly just as he would have done in Manticore.

They really were a great team. Zack missed working with Max- she was probably the best soldier, equal only to himself. It was too bad she was wasting away in Seattle. They really could help out their family if they worked together more often.

Max paused to look in. She felt slightly awkward, she'd never exactly broken into Logan's. _Well, except that one time_. She remembered the first time she'd met Logan, she'd been eyeing a certain valuable of his. If she hadn't been so curious, she would have gotten away without him ever knowing.

Max, thinking of the past, realized she really was different now. She didn't know what caused the change, but Logan was right. She really had changed. But that didn't mean she didn't at least care about Logan. He was the closest person to her, and she wouldn't allow anything to happen to him.

Max liked working with Zack. It was too bad he had to go and bail all the time, even if it was to protect their safety. Max watched Zack the soldier, feeling separate from him for the first time. He finally showed up, after she'd wanted him most. She finally faced the image of herself from days before, seeing herself and really how weak she must have looked, standing on the needle, desperate for another set of shoulders to put some of her burden upon.

And who had come? It was Alec.

"Max," Zack whispered, "It doesn't look like anyone has gone inside yet."

Max nodded. She was glad to avoid the thought of Alec. That was something she didn't need to deal with then, with how confused she already was over where she and Logan were right then.

Max stared at her watch. If the thief didn't show within 10 minutes, they'd be going against their usual pattern. Did they realize that people were catching on? "Do you see anyone from Manticore?" she asked her brother.

Zack shook his head. "Not since I got rid of them a few weeks ago."

Max gave him a questioning look. _Not since you _got rid_ of them?_, she thought. Zack was always so protective of her, he didn't want anyone to even hurt Max, yet he was willing to _get rid_ of anyone that he saw as a threat. Sometimes she wondered if he took things too far.

"You know so much about Manticore," Max couldn't help but bring up. "Do you keep an eye on the place?" She herself couldn't bare to come near it. She knew it would just bring bad memories, not to mention the risk factor. She didn't want to know what Manticore was doing anymore, she just wanted them to stay away from her.

"Yea," Zack admitted, "Not routinely, but I have to know what's going on. Know your enemy, Max."

Max nodded. He was constantly the soldier. She saw her training flash before her eyes, all the words they had plastered on their walls that made their way into their subconscious, one standing out above the rest- know your enemy.

"So, are they all still out?" Max asked. She needed to know. If Zack was keeping tabs on the facility, he would surely know.

Zack gave Max a disappointed look, "I already told you, Max. I can't compromise that information." He turned his attention to Logan's pad. "Not even to you."

Max frowned. What was the big deal? Would it really put everyone in danger for Max to know if Ben was trapped or not? "Forget it." Max said, as she stood up, leaving her position.

"Max, what are you doing?" Zack asked her quietly but with force. She was going to ruin their stakeout.

"Well, I don't want to compromise anything by being here, knowing too much." Max answered before starting to walk away.

"Max!" Zack called, still in a whisper.

She kept walking.

Zack shook his head. Why was she so stubborn? And yet, that was part of the beauty of Max. Zack appreciated everything that Max was, all of her. He knew her completely, and he accepted her and loved her for each facet of her personality and physique. He wasn't surprised or upset with her reaction. Maybe she was right. It was clearly bothering her.

"I'm not giving in to you," Zack began, motioning for Max to come back, "But I'll tell you what you want to know."

Max walked back cautiously. Would he really tell her? Maybe he would just lie. It's what Manticore would do. It's what the perfect soldier would do. Wasn't that what Zack couldn't escape from?

"Where's Ben?" Max demanded.

Zack was surprised. He wasn't expecting that name. Was that really the one she was most concerned with? He thought for a moment. Where had he last seen Ben?

"He didn't follow his orders," Zack said dismissively.

Max stared, waiting. That couldn't be all he had to say. "Well, what is that supposed to mean?" She demanded.

Unfortunately for Max, both their attention was averted, as suddenly, another figure crept up to a window with the speed and skill that only a transgenic would possess.

Max moved quickly, Zack matching her speed. She followed his lead as they came upon the thief.

Once Max was close enough to see the face, she almost stopped dead in her tracks. The recognition hit her at the core and she found herself staring, shocked and yet she felt she'd known all along.

Zack leapt first, catching the thief by surprise. Max was still unseen, and as Zack fell to the ground, it was Max who finally stopped him.

Upon the sight of Max, his face changed. She could see his regret and shame. He hadn't wanted her to see this.

"What the hell are you doing?" Zack asked the thief, furious at who it was.

Before they could continue, Logan opened his window, at hearing the noise. "Is someone out there?" he called down, not seeing anyone.

_Oh, nice, Logan!_ Max couldn't help but think sarcastically. Leave it to him to come to the window like a would-be hero. What would the handicapped man do exactly? _Stare_ the thief into stopping the burglary? Or maybe invite the thief to golf or an art show.

"We're going to Max's" Zack decided, avoiding Logan and needing a place to get some real answers.

"Forget it!" replied the thief, attempting to leave.

Zack reinforced his grip. "We've got you outnumbered. You're coming with us. That's an _order_, Ben. And this time, you don't have a choice to refuse."

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**a/n**: Wow! It's been a while! thanks for reading! I'll try not to wait so long for the next update (haha!) Feel free to review, tho I know not much happened this chapter. (btw, it is slightly wierd/difficult working on 3 stories at once, tho I kno many of you do it often and well, but I am going to try and trade off and not abandon altogether any one in particular). See you guys next ch!


	25. Responsibility

**DISCLAIMER: i dont own these characters **except of course, for 302

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**Chapter 25: Responsibility**

Alec looked at his watch while staring out the window. Was he really about to do this? He found himself getting distracted with thoughts of Max, he couldn't help it for where he was about to be. He knew he should probably skip it, stop, but he couldn't.

It seemed the longer he was out of Manticore, the more haunted he became. He was no closer to finding his connection to Max then when he first escaped. Maybe his connection, his draw to Max, really was something creepy in his DNA, something thanks to his twin brother, Ben.

_494 stared at him, he hated him. He was starting to believe him. Maybe the psycho really was placed in this cell on purpose, to drive him crazy. Watching 302 sleep, he wanted to take the opportunity. Suffocate him. End his pathetic existence. But he knew it would only serve to prove that 302 had been right all along- that 494 was crazy, that he'd failed just like his "twin". If 494 killed 302 like he wanted to, it would be the ultimate show of his own insanity. The death would not alleviate the situation, it would only get worse for 494._

_494 was usually capable of ignoring his crazy cellie. He was pretty good at keeping his cool. But tonight's events were altogether unsettling for 494, and he couldn't take it anymore. He was sick of being bombarded with all of it, the idea that this was all another test, the shots were methods of control, that he was constantly scrutinized for his brother's failure that he wasn't even ever going to be informed about._

_494 thought of his brother with hatred that went beyond his thoughts. If he ever came across him, he didn't know what he would do. His own existence would have gone so much differently if it wasn't for his brother's failure, a brother he'd never met, never claimed._

_494 pictured himself punching his twin upon the sight of him. Trying to punish him for being such a damn screw up._

_494 wasn't violent. But something about the blame being upon him, blame that never was his, being forced at him upset him and made his composure go out the window._

_If 302 was right, he was daily being tested and punished for something he'd never done- his twin's shortcomings. If 302 was right, he held the blame for her death._

_494 punched the wall to escape the thought. He hadn't killed her. Why should he feel guilty. "I _didn't _kill her!" he said aloud, wanting to shout it. He felt tears coming from his eyes and he realized he really had lost it, he'd lost control over his emotions and thoughts, he may as well be insane._

_302 snapped his eyes open as creepy as ever. He'd been awake the entire time, but waiting to see what 494 would do. 302 couldn't help it, it was partially why Manticore considered him a worthless soldier- his curiosity and neverending search for the truth. His theories, they called him crazy, but he knew he was right. It was why he was so dangerous. His own existence stood to prove that his Manticore theories were true. This was his mission. If he could get 494 to crack, he himself would be considered worth something. Maybe he would manage to escape psyOps._

_But 302's own will to uncover the truth was stronger than the will to survive. He didn't want 494 to crack, fall apart. 302 had seen enough to know- 494 wasn't a failure like his twin. He was one of Manticore's best. If 302 could show 494 the truth, than even if 302 was disposed of in true Manticore fashion for knowing too much, 494 could continue to uncover and spread the truth._

_302 was a narcissist to the 10th degree. He didn't want his work to go on someone else, but he knew he would be killed for what he knew. If not killed, he would be sent to solitary forever, only to be brought into the open for routine memory probing and erasing. Solitary was death for 302. Not being able to watch and see what was happening, not being able to share his stories, his truths. It was the same to him as death._

_302 had been in solitary before the idea came along that he could make 494 crack. Manticore hadn't planned on 494 being as amazing of a soldier as he was. If any other designation had been placed in a cell with 302, they surely would have either gone crazy by now or killed 302. 302 knew this, and he knew that 494 was special- he could pass along his work to 494._

_302 was a narcissist, but he knew that 494 was better. He admired 494 for all that he was, the perfect soldier. It was 494's perfection that could destroy Manticore. It was ironic, really. 493 was the ultimate failure, and yet, in his twin 494, was the ultimate success, the perfect soldier. They shared the same DNA. 302 marveled at this fact. It went against what should be. 302 loved it. He didn't want to admit that 494 was better, to pass along his own bizarre discoveries to 494, but 302 realized his own ultimate truth- he was destined to die in this place. He would never get out, he would never get the opportunites that 494 had in front of him._

_Part of 302 was jealous. He wished for just a part of 494's perfection, to be able to come close to that level of greatness. 302 hadn't seen training since he'd made his mistake, realized his worst flaw, his own self-obsession. He couldn't keep the truth to himself, they all needed to know. He would tell them._

_302 knew that 494 was better. He would be able to succeed where 302 could not. 302 knew his fate- he would die here. Either a warrior's death (what 302 could only hope for) by standing against Manticore and being too much of a threat, or by solitary confinement. It was the same to 302, either way was death to him._

_Part of 302 wanted to watch 494 fall apart, let him fall into Manticore's wishes. Manticore wanted him to fail. It would help explain away their own failure in his ultimately flawed twin. But if 494 fell into permanent insanity, 302 would be watching his own desires die along with the sanity of 494. 494 was 302's only chance to see his work go somewhere._

_"Shut up!" 302 demanded, taking the typical words of 494. It seemed for the moment, their roles had been reversed. 302 would have to comfort his cellie, as he was at his most vulnerable._

_Luckilly for 302, it was all that 494 needed. If 494's sanity relied upon 302's ability to console and talk normal and speak some sense into 494, they both would have been doomed. At 302's words, really, the recognition that he wasn't alone and someone was watching him in his most vulnerable state, 494 came back to reality._

_He looked down at the pillow he'd been clenching, the one that just a moment ago, he had pictured himself placing over 302's face with all of his strength behind it, ending his cellmate's life. The pillow had his hands indented in it momentarily._

_494 fluffed it and threw it at 302 in a joking manner as if he wasn't just pondering killing the weirdo. "I knew you were faking, loser," 494 said, adding a smirk at the end._

_"I have all the time in the world to sleep," 302 replied, "why would I do that when I could be watching you."_

_494 cringed slightly. It was no wonder he found himself on the edge of insanity at times with his creepy cellmate. Of course, watching 494 probably was the highlight of 302's day. After all, while 494 could escape his cell on missions and training and debriefing, 302 was constantly there._

_"Why don't you ever get the shots?" 494 asked, giving in for one more moment to all of the questions and confusion he tried to pretend wasn't there most of the time._

_"You know why," 302 answered, as cryptically as ever._

_494 swallowed, allowing the responsibility and guilt of her death to come to surface. He did know why, somewhere inside of him. He'd blocked out all thoughts of it as a Manticore soldier would, but deep down, he did know._

_494 plopped onto his military bed and accepted it. Her death was his fault. He took the moment to bury the memory and the acceptance. There was no need to dwell on this fact any further. It would not benefit him in any way, he would forget about it and when he woke up in the morning, it would be like tonight had never happened._

Alec knew why what he was about to do bothered him. He hadn't realized it until he connected his recent actions with Max and how she would take it. He saw her at her most vulnerable, seeing again in his mind the Max he'd seen in a white dress, the one he was sure he would never see again.

Alec pulled the black gloves over his hands, staring again at his watch. _Damn_. He was already running late.

Was it habit? Is that why he wouldn't refuse, not even for Max? Was it that he wanted to somehow deny to her face his feelings for her? Was it to somehow pretend like she hadn't changed him at all?

He didn't need to do it, but that really wasn't the point anymore.

Whatever his reasons, he did feel like he was running from something. Responsibility.

"Fuck that shit," Alec said aloud, dismissing his own guilt for what he was about to do. And then he denied it again before grabbing the bag and heading to his destination. "I didn't kill her."

--------------------------

a/n: thanks so much for reading! and as I always say, I really appreciate reviews! (ps- this "flashback" stuff is such a guilty pleasure for me! I love writing about that stuff! haha. hope you enjoyed)


	26. Weakness

**DISCLAIMER: I dont own these characters**

Max, Zack, Alec

**----------------------------**

**Chapter 26: Weakness**

Max took a moment to try and keep her composure, keep a soldier's face, before saying what she wanted to say. Zack surely would want to be the one to talk, but Max wasn't going to have it that way. Alec had successfully pissed her off again, and he would damn well listen this time instead of just disappearing and leaving her to pick up the pieces.

As Zack shut the door, he once again questioned him. "Where have you been all this time, Ben?"

Max wouldn't give Alec a chance to make up some lame story to get out of it, or even explain himself. She didn't want to give him the chance to somehow explain how this wasn't horrible.

"That" she said with fury in her voice, "is _not_ Ben. His name is Alec. He and Ben are twins, his designation is 494. Ben would never do something like this!"

Alec stared in disbelief. He didn't know exactly what Ben had done to be considered a 'failure' by Manticore's standards, but he was sure that Ben wasn't as amazing as Max would like to believe.

"Twins?" Zack said, taking it in. "But you're not one of our unit."

Alec nodded, "Exactly. So I really don't need to be here for your little family reunion, so I think I'll be leaving now."

"Oh, I don't think so!" Max said, shaking her head. "You aren't going anywhere, Alec. How could you do something like this? You _know_ Logan! He's not some random rich guy to exploit. I can't believe you! So _this _is how you got all that money, huh?" She was thinking of how he had taken her out to the nicest restaurant in town the last time she'd seen him, now thinking of it with disgust.

"I didn't hurt anyone!" Alec said in his defense.

"No thanks to your own actions," Zack said, upset. "I'm the one who had to get rid of the attention you caused. Who knows, Manticore could have another team on its way here to capture you! Attention to Seattle is bad for Max, you put her safety in jeopardy!"

Alec allowed his green eyes to meet Max's. Her brown eyes were full of anger- no, worse. He saw hurt in her eyes. Did this mean he did mean something to her?

Alec also noted the look on Zack's face- X-559. The one who helped them all escape. He didn't seem to regard Max the way that a brother should.

"Why did you do it?" Max demanded. "Can't you at least explain yourself!" She finally gave him a moment where he might be able to save himself, somehow justify his foolish actions. It wasn't like he'd killed anyone, it was just that it was so stupid, it made no sense.

Alec didn't really know why he'd done it. It felt good he decided, to have no one to answer to, do what he wanted. It had started out as one hit, he was just going to do it a couple of times, save up the cash and live off it for a while. But the soldier in him didn't want him to stop. It was like his mission. Without a Manticore mission, what was he to do? He didn't know how to just "be free". Max had been fortunate enough to have years of practice, but he was new at this freedom stuff. In all his outside missions, he realized money was everything, you needed it to survive in the world outside of Manticore.

"I want to give you some answers," Alec admitted, "But I really can't explain my actions. I'm sorry."

Max didn't accept his apology. What, was she supposed to believe a liar all of a sudden?

"How did you escape Manticore?" Zack asked, "Or are you still working for them? What are you doing here?" He seemed very much untrusting of Alec.

Alec didn't want to explain himself to Zack, but he saw Max wanted the answers. It was difficult to answer, he really didn't know why he was there. Was he supposed to say that he felt a connection to Max? It didn't make logical sense, he couldn't tell them that.

"I only just recently escaped, I was on a mission but I never returned." Alec answered.

"Well, why didn't you escape earlier?" Zack asked.

"I didn't think of it until I saw other free X5s," Alec lied, feeling like he was reporting to an officer. He suddenly wanted badly to leave this interrogation.

Max didn't let Zack ask another question. "I don't know why the hell you are here or staying here other than to be my constant pain in the ass, but if you insist on making my life hell, you probably want to get a _real _job." she suggested.

Zack looked like he had more questions, but Max was done talking with Alec. She didn't care at the moment if she ever saw him again. "Get out of my apartment." She ordered Alec.

He stood there, shocked, not moving.

"Get OUT of my apartment!" Max repeated, more forcibly.

Alec grabbed Max's arm, forcing her to meet his gaze, "Max! I'm done, okay. I said I was sorry."

Max backed away at his touch, "Don't touch me! I really can't stand you right now. Do you know that? I want you to go."

Alec felt the sting of her words, more than she knew. He didn't want to leave. He wanted to make it up to her, show her she was wrong about him.

Alec didn't know what he could say, though, at the moment. She would need space. He left without saying goodbye.

Max turned to face Zack. He was surprised to see her eyes still held anger. "Max, you don't need to be so upset. We did good, trust me, he's done drawing attention to Seattle. Plus, I stopped the team, you're in no danger."

"I don't care about that right now, Zack!" Max replied. "You don't know where Ben is, do you?" His question to Alec was proof that he had no idea where her brother was.

Zack took a moment to read Max. Since when was she so concerned with Ben? Maybe it was Alec's striking resemblance. It brought memories, maybe. "I don't know where he is," Zack confessed, feeling his own failure in their brother.

"Well how long has it been?" She demanded.

Zack shook his head, "Anywhere from a few months to a year."

"A year?" Max asked. That meant he could be anywhere at this point!

Zack didn't know what to tell her. Ben's whereabouts were clearly all she was concerned with at the moment. He wanted to give her the answers she was looking for, but he couldn't.

"How could you just abandon him, Zack! Why didn't you tell me, we could have been searching!"

"Oh, is _that_ all it takes for you to leave Seattle?" He asked getting upset. She didn't understand. If she only knew, she wouldn't want to find him so badly.

"Don't turn this on me, Zack. You never gave me a chance. If you wouldn't have kept me in the dark, I might have left. We'll never know since you didn't trust me enough. I think you owe me to tell me what happened, where did you last see him?"

Zack didn't understand. Why was it that he did everything for her, and all she could think of was her messed up brother? Zack was somehow getting her anger after everything he'd done.

"You have no idea about Ben, Max. He isn't the same little kid that we knew at Manticore."

"You _left_ him, didn't you, Zack," Max asked, shoving her fists at him in frustration. "How could you abandon him?"

"He didn't follow his orders!" Zack explained, "He left his sanctuary! What was I supposed to do, call a search party? He didn't want to be discovered, Max, or he would have left a note, a trace of where he was headed, _something_! He's a good soldier, Max, he made sure there was no sign. He wasn't kidnapped, he left of free will. I was trying to protect you all." Zack didn't tell her the whole story. In truth, he should have killed Ben. But he couldn't bring himself to do it, Zack was too weak. He couldn't hurt Max, so he had fooled himself into thinking it would be okay to give Ben one more chance.

"So you admit that you didn't search for him?" Max asked, not pleased with his answers. "Why. Because he didn't follow orders? I'm not being the perfect Manticore soldier, either, Zack. I'm staying in Seattle against your wishes. Why don't you just abandon me?"

"I'm sorry, Max, I was a little preoccupied, okay! I'm sorry I had to _die_ so I couldn't focus my every attention on _Ben_. Sorry that I was trapped at Manticore for the past few months."

Zack couldn't say anything else. Max would never understand. He would never get her to see. How could anyone understand? She didn't know what happened, she never would know the fullness of it. It wasn't her fault, it had been Zack's choice. When faced with it, he would do it again. Max meant more to him than anything, more than his own life.

What Zack didn't understand, was why she couldn't see it, everyone else did. He would never be able to abandon her. Even Manticore had known. He remembered what had happened when he made the choice to save Max. They wanted to know where everyone else was. He was so good, he was so focused. He wasn't going to crack.

_He'd finally woken up to find himself off of the operation/probing table for once. He could feel the scars from where the needles had been inserted, the tubes, pumping mind altering chemicals into his body against his will just moments before. How long had he been out? How long until they tried again?_

_He could barely see anything, he was still dizzy from it all. He felt a terror come over him. He realized that he couldn't remember, he didn't know what had happened to him over the past few days. The last true memory he had was of Max, seeing her fall. He saw himself again, pulling the trigger, forcing them to save her over himself. What had been going on for the past few days? Had it only been a few days?_

_He swallowed as his darkest fears flooded his consciousness. What if they knew? What if he had lost it at some point, leaked out what they wanted to know?_

_"Zack!" Max called to him. He blinked. Was it really her? It had worked, then. She was still alive. He had succeeded in saving her life._

_"What, what are you doing here?" He had asked her._

_"Zack, we have to get out of here. You didn't tell them did you?" She pulled him in his weakened state to his feet. Zack stroked her cheek that he could barely make out, he was so glad to have her near him._

_"No, Max!" he shook his head, allowing the tears to come, "I didn't tell them anything!"_

_She didn't believe him, "Are you sure? You didn't tell them where Tinga is? Where Ben is?"_

_"No!" Zack insisted, "Why don't you believe me! I didn't say anything!"_

_Max repeated the question. No, she rephrased it, "Where is Tinga, Zack? Where is Ben?"_

_Zack knew then, it wasn't Max. As his vision improved, he could see. It wasn't her at all. He lifted her off the ground with his remaining strength, his relief gone. "Where is Max! Tell me where she is!" He demanded before he felt a poke in his side. He'd been injected with another tranquilizer. It was just a trap._

If Manticore knew that Max was his weakness, why didn't she? It must have been that she didn't want to see it, didn't want to know what she meant to Zack, that thoughts of Max flawed Zack's otherwise perfect plans. That her safety always meant more.

Max realized Zack didn't know anything more about Ben. If he did, he surely would have told her. She felt the beating in her heart, ashamed of her behavior toward him. Zack had done more for Max than anyone in her life, probably than anyone ever could or would do. Her fists that were pounding him with fury, she changed to hands, pressed against his chest in defeat, in an apology. She wrapped them around her brother and hugged him, shaking in his arms. Here it was. The comfort she'd been seeking, the comfort she had turned to Alec for, but that only Zack could offer.

Zack held Max in his arms, trying not to take in her scent or the feeling too much. She was his weakness, getting too close would only make it harder to leave, harder to continue his mission. He had to find Ben for her. She was right, really. He had abandoned Ben.

-------------

a/n: Thanks again for reading. This chapter was longer, the next will be shorter (kind of balances that way!)


	27. Sanctuary

**disclaimer- i dont own these characters**

**Chapter 27: Sanctuary**

_He smiled at his surroundings. His brother really could pick them, it was a beautiful place. Ben had his own little island in a way, where no one could harm him_.

_Ben ran around like a child through the wooded area. There were trees with larger trunks than he'd seen. He heard the birds chirping, the only other life besides his own in the secluded area. The birds sounds were beautiful, they were telling a story. He would have to listen later to save the story for when he saw his siblings again._

_Ben's thoughts turned to one of his siblings, the special one, his sister Max. She didn't seem like a sister to him, but that was their initial connection. He wondered what Max was doing. He hadn't seen her in years. He had been following Zack's orders to keep them all safe, keeping separate to not jeopardize their safety. Although the thought of his brother keeping them apart upset Ben, picturing little Maxie as he remembered, imagining the beautiful woman she must be right now, Ben found he wasn't that upset if it meant she was safe._

_Ben lifted his head to the sound of water flowing. _It must be the waterfall. _He followed the sound for some time before he found it._

_He noticed a waterfall flowing onto some rocks. He remembered what his brother had said "Behind the waterfall, that's where you'll find everything you need. Rations, a sleeper, your pills. Don't forget to take your pills, Ben."_

_Ben's smile formed into an angry frown at the thought. Did Zack really think Ben wouldn't be aware of his surroundings enough? Did he think Ben wouldn't be in his sound mind?_

_Ben found there was everything he would need for a while in the cave underneath the waterfall. Upon examining the pills, Ben only became more upset and disappointed. Had Zack forgotten that Ben was a trained soldier? Surely Zack had known that Ben would know what these were, not vitamins. The pills were meant to sedate Ben into a non-violent state, almost like a tranquilizer._

_Ben's attention moved to a sound he heard that bothered him. It was a bird squawking. Ben tried to shoo it away, but in vain. Instead, more of them came, squawking, shouting at him._

_They were spying on him. Zack must have sent them to keep watch. He didn't trust Ben, so he'd sent his own methods to keep him in control while he was away._

_Ben glared angrily at the birds, then his eyes fell to the pills. They wanted him to take the pills, then they would leave him alone. _I don't want to take these pills_, Ben thought angrily. There really was only one way to stop them._

_Ben changed the sounds they were singing to his own sort of song. He began dancing to the music, with a sharp rock in his hand. Ben blocked all sounds except his song._

_When his song ended, he enjoyed the silence. He looked to the ground, admiring his work.. He would need to give them proper burial, it was what the Blue Lady would want. She loved everyone, even the birds._

_He grabbed their little bodies and placed them in the river, to let the Blue Lady decide where to take them._

_Ben pulled out a rosary and a prayer card, stroking her image gently. The Blue Lady would be pleased with the sacrifice, it was all he could do for where he was trapped._

_Yes, Ben was trapped. His brother had kept him here to keep him contained, away from civilization. Ben scowled at the thought. Zack was constantly underestimating Ben, they all were._

_He stared one last time at the pills before chucking them as far as he could. He couldn't see where they landed, and he didn't care._

_The water flowing no longer calmed Ben. It only angered him, the liquid bars meant to keep him at peace while in nature's cell._

_"You'll have a sanctuary," he remembered Zack saying, "You'll be safe here. I picked you out a beautiful spot, I know you'll like it."_

_Ben at the time was foolish enough to think his brother meant it. "Will the Blue Lady like it?" Ben recalled himself asking._

_His brother had smiled genuinely. _No, it wasn't genuine. It was fake, it was meant to keep me trapped here_. "Yes, of course, she will like it." Zack had answered before leaving. Zack had left him here._

_Ben sat upon the ground clutching his knees with the rosary in hand. He held onto his rosary tight, so tight he was bleeding from the hand. It was all he had She was all he had. He would probably never see his family again. He would never see Max._

_Ben had wanted to ask him about her. Zack would surely know. Zack didn't think anyone would notice, probably, in the short time he always spent with his siblings, but Ben was smarter than that. Ben knew. A CO wasn't supposed to have favorites, but Zack did. Max was his favorite. Zack wanted Max for himself. If Ben had asked, it would have put the suspicions up for Zack._

_Ben was disgusted with his brother. Zack would never understand. He wouldn't be able to accept that Max was not his. Ben felt his heart beat, longing for Max. Max could never be Zack's, because Max was really Ben's. But he would never get to tell her. He would never get to share his stories with her._

_This was no sanctuary._


	28. Back to Normal?

**disclaimer- i dont own these characters**

**a/n: **this is kind of short, so I posted 2 again. It was supposed to be one chapter, but it seemed too long and like 2 different moods, so here it is:

ps. I do read my reviews, however few there are, and anyway, to answer a possible question/concern, all the guys do have a thing for Max, but to simplify the matter, Zack is gone (presumably to find Ben), Ben is missing, Logan- well, after the next ch that will be clear. we know who this leaves! I'm giving away nothing, this is announced an MA fic.

**Chapter 28: Back to Normal?**

Max was actually relieved for once to be at JamPony. She at least knew what to expect here, there wouldn't be any surprises.

She approached Normal, who in turn, grabbed a stack of packages and said, "No lip, Missy! I don't care why you weren't here yesterday, save the story, just-"

Max grabbed the stack without argument, "Yea, yea,Bip bip! Hot run! Whatever, I'm on it."

----------

Max came back sooner than she'd expected. _Eh, no need to let Normal know I'm back_, she thought. After all, he might start to expect this type of work, which really, wasn't going to happen probably ever from Max.

She stretched out and relaxed, taking a moment to enjoy the sun.

Max was considering heading out to get a quick bite to eat, when she was almost knocked over by one of JamPony's runners going extremely fast on a bike. "Hey!" she called, brushing her shoulders clean of the fresh dirt that had been flown at her, "Watch it!"

Her lips parted and her eyes glared as she noticed who it was. "What are you doing here?"

Alec smiled, ever the smart ass, "Well, Maxie, I work here. I thought you did, too. Geez, they never mentioned taking long breaks outside in the job description."

Max shook her head, "No way. You aren't being serious. Normal hired you?"

Alec beamed, "I didn't even have to interview! He knows a good candidate when he sees one!"

Max snorted, "Whatever. Normal wouldn't know a good candidate if it bit him in the ass. The fact that you were hired is proof of that."

Alec frowned jokingly, "Aww, Maxie. That hurts." He paused, "You know, I was going to mention you as a reference, but Normal doesn't seem too fond of you! I wonder why, with your amazing personality and politeness!"

Max rolled her eyes. "Whatever, Pretty Boy." She laughed inwardly. She felt slightly awkward suddenly, realizing he was actually growing on her. While the initial sight of him didn't settle well with her (She definitely didn't want any reminders of last night), he had something about him. She couldn't place it, but she had taken a liking to Alec, though she would never admit it to him.

"So what, are you stalking me, now?" Max teased him, "What's a girl gotta do to escape you!"

Alec laughed, "I guess I deserve that. After I found your boyfriend and took your phone and-"

"Tried to rob my…," Max finished, though not really sure what to call Logan's relationship to her these days.

Alec smiled sincerely it seeemed, " Actually, I was taking your suggestion, you know, of getting a job. This seemed as good a place as any."

Max stared into his eyes as he spoke to her, not liking the attraction she was feeling towards him. She didn't like discussing or thinking about her relationship with Logan, or having a joking conversation with Alec. Wasn't this the guy who she'd just kicked out of her apartment? The same one who'd been stealing from innocent people behind her back? And he still hadn't really answered anyone's questions as to why he stayed around.

"You know, I'm suddenly not feeling too hot," Max lied, trying to avoid his gaze. She reasoned that it must be true, why else would she want to be around him?

Alec recognized the lie, but tried not to show it, "Well, you should stop by my apartment later if you're feeling better. Give me some tips on this place."

Max wanted to tell him he'd be fine, punch his shoulder lightly, but she couldn't bring herself to just be normal with him. She found herself reasoning that she ought to be mad at him, she'd told him to go away, and here he was, following her to work.

"Yea, right. Maybe I'll come visit you when you stop participating in illegal activities," Max replied.

Alec stopped smiling suddenly. Max almost felt bad. Why was he upset? She had said far worse to him before without such an effect.

Max was surprised that it was Alec who left the conversation. "Well, I better get back to work, or started I guess. It's my first day, I don't want to screw up yet."

Max stared at him as he walked away. There was something of a sadness in the way that he walked. She wanted to call after him, try and fix things, but instead she just stood there. She realized just how empty she felt when Alec wasn't there. What if he really had listened, and she had never seen him again? She suddenly couldn't believe she had tried to throw him out of her life last night.

Max's thoughts were interrupted by the familiar vibrating of her pager. She knew who it was, but she looked anyway. She felt a sadness come over her. She hadn't been on the level with him at all. She'd told him she would stop the thief, but she'd never filled him in on anything.


	29. Reflections from Within

**Chapter 29: Reflections from Within**

Logan was actually surprised to see she'd returned his pager.

"Hey," she said with an uneasy smile. Why did have to be like that? Couldn't she just smile naturally anymore around him?

"Hey yourself," Logan answered, slightly pained. Would she even notice?

"Are you okay?" Max blurted, upon seeing he was back in his wheelchair. "Is that why you paged me?"

Logan nodded and clenched his lips together to keep his sarcastic laughter within. So now he needed a dire reason to simply want to speak with her? It was bad enough having to face her in his condition, and she had to insult his feelings for her on top of that?

He didn't know why he answered her. She didn't really look panicked. She didn't reveal the face of someone who loves you. Logan swallowed down his hurt. He wouldn't fall apart in front of her. He would have to be just as strong as she apparently was without him. "It's temporary. I was having some problems with the robotics. It's being looked into."

Max nodded kindly. She opened her mouth to say something, but Logan didn't want to give her the chance to fill him with some sort of excuse, a random lie. He wouldn't give her the chance to lie to his face.

"So it turns out there is a Manticore team in Seattle," Logan informed her as he wheeled toward his computer to grab a file sitting beside it.

Max was worried momentarily, he could see it in her eyes. He continued, tossing the pictures on the table in front of her, "At least there was. Until your brother found them."

Max stared at the photos, saddened slightly at the sight of Zack. It looked to Max like Zack had successfully taken care of the team. "So what's the deal then?" she asked.

Logan shrugged, "Just thought you'd like to know." He paused and attempted to look away. No, he wouldn't look away. He forced himself to face her, "But you already knew that, didn't you?" he asked darkly.

Max leaned away from him slightly, feeling more uncomfortable than when she'd first walked in. She was also slightly upset. He was calling her out on avoiding him and leaving him in the dark. Even if it was true, it still hurt to be thrust in her face the way he was telling her that he knew.

Max shrugged. If she was already guilty here, she may as well not bother explaining anything. It wasn't like he wanted an explanation anyway, he just wanted to let her know that he didn't appreciate her behavior, at least that was the way Max saw things. "Well, I was going to tell you, but since you're so informed, why don't you tell me, Logan. What else have I been up to lately? Care to fill me in?" She spoke with force.

"You know, Max, lately you're very reckless. With you going on missions alone, how am I supposed to make sure you are safe? You're keeping me in the dark, and I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on."

He was speaking to her like she was a child. She hated it. "Maybe I didn't _want_ your help, Logan. Maybe I can take care of myself and I don't need you to make sure I'm safe."

"Did you know that I had to cover for your brother, Max? Your Manticore soldier didn't realize the police were onto him, but with my intelligence, I was able to tip them in the wrong direction just in time. Thank goodness, because apparently, he would have led them straight to you."

Logan slapped another photo in front of Max as he finished. This one showed Zack and Max, right outside of her apartment.

"What, were you having me followed?" Max asked with anger.

"Now why am I not surprised you would jump to this conclusion, Max." Logan said condescendingly. "No, Max. I wasn't having you followed. Maybe I should be, though. It would sure as hell be a lot easier to clean your trail for you that way."

Max didn't want to continue talking to him, but she needed to know exactly what he was talking about. "What do you mean by that?"

"I found these photos randomly in an intelligence database. Anyone could have picked up on these if I hadn't deleted them, Max. I'm wondering when exactly you decided to stop being careful about exposure."

Max glared at him. He had no idea. She was risking exposure just by being in Seattle, Zack was constantly reminding her of that. She hadn't left because of him. At least, that's what she thought her reasons were for staying. She didn't really allow herself to reflect on her emotions enough to realize if that was her true reason.

Max refused to face him as he continued with his lecture. Not because she was too hurt, she simply found herself disgusted with him. His words were full of the judgment he'd already placed upon her. It didn't matter if he was right, it was the fact that he didn't leave room for himself to possibly be wrong.

"And I'm sure you already are aware who the thief was, since you're the one that stopped him. But I'm surprised that you allowed him to stay here after how close he came to exposing you. How close he's come- his foolish behavior has gotten you close to being discovered by Manticore more than once. Just how many second chances are you going to give this guy?"

Max took a deep breath to refrain from yelling at him. She waited for him to continue, surely nothing she said would stop him from this little rant.

Max was surprised to find he was giving her a moment to respond. "What, no pictures to accompany Alec's behavior?" She asked sarcastically, "I thought that surely the great _Eyes Only_ would have some incriminating photos to show me. Well you're right, I _know_ that Alec was the thief. And you know what else, I'm over it. You should be, too," She realized it was true as she said it.

"It's not the fact that it was Alec. That I really should have guessed. It's that you continue to allow him to make these mistakes, this from someone you don't even know. Why are you so reckless lately, Max? Why have you allowed Alec to get so close to you when you don't know his true intentions?"

"Why are you telling me this?" Max asked. She decided to answer for him, "It's obviously because this may be the one Manticore soldier you _don't _have information on." That statement by itself left Max unsettled, not just Logan, but the fact that it was true. There was no information on Alec. And he was unreadable. He never slipped up, it was true she didn't know him, though she felt connected to him.

"I won't deny that I haven't been able to come up with anything on Alec," Logan admitted, "Except of course, his foolish thieving lately."

"Well, like I said, just get over it. He's done with that. Why are we talking about him, anyway? Is that what really what this is all about? These photos, accusations? What do you really want, Logan?"

Logan looked away again. He didn't know what he wanted. He wanted Max, but this Max, she wasn't the Max he had fallen for. It seemed she was no longer his. "I want you to leave," he decided.

Max stared with full eyes, open in shock. He couldn't be serious. "You are the one that paged me," she reminded him. "What, you wanted to lecture me like I'm supposed to be reporting to you? And now you're done?"

Logan couldn't face her anymore. It hurt too much. "Why'd you answer, Max? Why didn't you just ignore it like all the other times? Was it pity? Or did you think that it would finally be okay to let me know that I was the next one on the list?"

Max was sick of his questions. She knew he was right.

Logan continued at her silence, finally ending his lecture. He seemed genuinely concerned. He still cared for her greatly. "You're confused, Max. I don't know what is really going on with you, but you need to figure it out, for your own safety. If you continue to deny or tuck away whatever is going on inside of you, you'll only continue this reckless type of behavior."

"And what about you?" Max asked, also concerned. She had never seen Logan so hurt before. She wondered what he would do upon realizing things weren't the way they used to be.

"I'll keep looking into Manticore. You can contact me whenever you need any information at all. I won't call you or page you unless I really need your help." Logan found the strength to face her. He owed her that much, she deserved to be told to her face. "Goodbye, Max."

Max hugged him. She wasn't really a touchy feely type of person, and most good-byes did not deserve such an embrace, but she couldn't deny the space the man held in her heart. She felt strange as she let go, taking a moment to stare into his eyes. She had hurt this man.

Logan returned her gaze. She was right in front of him, yet even in the moment, she seemed so far apart.

As Max left the penthouse, she was surprised to find she didn't feel empty. The thought of a life without Logan had crossed her mind before. It had seemed to wrong to even consider. Yet, as she drove away on her ninja, she like a giant weight had been lifted.

Max considered Logan's suggestion. _Whatever is going on with you, you need to figure it out_. Max knew he was right. Logan always had all the answers it seemed. Except when it came to what was going on within her.

Max felt the breeze while letting her ninja take her somewhere absentmindedly. She wasn't paying attention to the road. She was considering Logan's suggestion with every part of her. What _was_ going on inside her? Max didn't feel empty at the moment. Instead, she felt longing. She followed it until she reached her destination.

----

a/n- again, thanks for reading.


	30. Must Be The Jeans!

**Disclaimer: I dont own these characters**

**a/n: **I don't normally do this, but I wanted to give a personal thanks to **dustori **and **rocknroll923**. You guys are awesome! I really appreciate reviews, and I know my chapters are short and frankly not the most thought provoking, but I am so glad to know that someone is enjoying this and took the time to let me know!

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**Chapter 30: Must Be The Jeans!**

Alec poured himself another glass of scotch. He watched the liquid swirl around inside the glass. He filled it too much, and a bit of it spilled over. He didn't care. It wasn't like he'd rented out a 5-star penthouse, like old Log'. Alec laughed slightly at his own pathetic need to compare himself to Logan Cale. There was an upstanding citizen, that Log'. He was probably busy trying to save some orphans or something at the moment. Alec on the other hand wasn't allowing himself to be concerned with anyone while he familiarized himself with his new apartment.

Alec slumped into his crappy yet somehow comfortable chair in his crappy and uncomfortable apartment. It didn't really feel like "home". Maybe a television would help. He'd have to go to the market to barter for one later.

The chair had tears in the leather exterior, or rather, pleather exterior, but he didn't mind. It still satisfied his needs to plump his bottom down on a suitable cushion.

Alec thought depressingly of his morning encounter with Max, and of the last time he'd been at her apartment. She'd told him she hated him. And then this morning, she'd rejected him. It was like if she couldn't fight with him, she didn't see the point in speaking with him. Alec wasn't sure if he'd rather argue with Max or enjoy a peaceful life without her.

"Looks like I don't need to choose!" he decided out loud, downing the glass. Max had chosen for him. She hated him, and she'd surely never give him another chance. He'd never discover his connection to her, the whole reason of his own escape.

Alec then thought of his evening encounter at the bar, or lack thereof. Like any normal night, he hit up the pool tables, to of course make money off his new JamPony friends, and also to enjoy the company of many willing and beautiful women.

There was only one problem with Alec's night. Thoughts of Max had ruined it for him. He found that he couldn't even flirt anymore with the ladies.

Sketchy shook it off as just an "off" night. Alec had agreed, but inside, he knew better. It wasn't the night, it was Max.

Alec withdrew from those thoughts, realizing that although sitting in a comfortable seat, he was staring at a blank wall. He frowned. It wasn't like him to be bored, but his place wasn't furnished yet, and it certainly wasn't as stimulating as any of his Manticore missions had been.

_What were those shots? Why am I so drawn to Max?_

He dismissed his own thoughts with the pouring of another glass.

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Max knew that she had to figure out what was going on inside of her. The answer was so simple, really, yet she had made it so complicated, fighting it all the way. 

She wasn't surprised to see where she'd ended up. Though she'd never been here before, she immediately noticed a familiarity nonetheless. It was his scent. It was engulfing her, and she realized she had followed it. She remembered the first night she'd met him, how she had taken a liking that very night to him. Even then, she'd noticed that she enjoyed the scent of Alec.

_This must be his apartment_, she thought, somewhat entranced. She bit back her hesitations literally, as she felt a slight pain on her lip as she bit.

She walked up to the door and found herself throwing her hair back, feeling slightly nervous, wishing she'd spent more time preparing herself, especially with her physical appearance. _What are you thinking, Max!_, she scolded herself, _just knock on the freakin door!_

In spite of her doubts as well as questions of what she was doing there, she found the courage, or maybe it was curiosity, to knock on the door.

She paused, trying to keep her facial expression unreadable for when the door opened and she would find herself face to face with him.

When it didn't open, she only found more hesitation. Was he not there? She tried to peak through a broken set of blinds that were keeping prying eyes out. The place had kind of a "dump" feel to it, but then again, considering the Pulse, it seemed kind of homey.

She rejected her initial doubts. He had to be here, she could still smell his scent. She knocked again, harder this time.

When she still found no response, she did what only Max would take it upon herself to do- she picked at the lock to let herself in. It wasn't even a difficult task, she found herself wishing for more of a challenge. Where was the fun in breaking and entering if it was this easy? Though Logan wouldn't approve, there was a certain rush to entering a place unexpected and, well, fine, illegally as well.

He could have stopped her from coming in, but as she stared at his form, she realized he didn't care. He didn't even look up to greet her. She was slightly shocked to find him just staring at a blank wall. He held a glass of scotch, from the smell of it. The bottle was near finished. As a transgenic, he was probably barely buzzed, if that.

"Max, what are you doing here?" He asked in a low, uninterested voice, without looking at her.

She didn't like talking to his back, but she was slightly afraid of facing him. He didn't seem himself. He was always the happy go lucky smart-ass, and though she knew it was all a cover, she also knew perfectly well how to deal with that person. She hadn't faced this side of Alec before.

She noticed the small suitcase laid on the floor, and took in the lack of much furniture or really anything about the place. She also noted the small wad of cash that had been tossed carelessly to the floor, with a map folded up next to it. Was he leaving town?

"Are you leaving?" She asked, showing more concern in her voice than she wanted to let on.

"And would that really bother you at all? I would think you'd be happy, wouldn't you, Maxie?" He said as he finally got off his butt to accept her presence. He stared at her intensely with his hazel eyes, the specks of green finally showing some energy that hadn't been there when she had first walked in the room.

At the end of his question, he threw in his usual grin. She couldn't help but gasp slightly a sigh of relief that he was himself it seemed. Or maybe it was her surprise at his appearance. He was shirtless, with worn jeans loosely held up to his waist, leaving his boxers sticking out. She admired his stomach without realizing, it was defined and bare, just asking for her touch.

"Max?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, but not releasing his intense stare.

She felt her cheeks burn slightly, realizing she'd been checking him out. She turned her stare away from him, unfortunately being reminded there was nothing else noteworthy in his apartment to stare at. The moment at least helped for her to regain her composure. "Why would I want you to leave town?" she managed to reply.

Alec wondered if he should really get into this with her. Part of him didn't care, at least, didn't want to care. He found that seeing her standing there, just an arm's length away, looking vulnerable, was having an undesirable effect on him, or rather, a desirable effect that he didn't want to have.

"Well, maybe it was when you said you hated me?" he reminded her, wishing she would yell at him now so he could at least be distracted from how amazing she looked right then, and from recalling how she tasted, even though their kiss, if you could call it that, had happened by now a while ago.

"How was work?" she asked, changing the subject. She didn't feel quite ready to discuss how she really felt about Alec.

"Don't worry, Maxie! I'm not leaving town, so you can save your tears for something else," Alec replied, ignoring her latest question.

Max snorted slightly. "And you don't need to worry about me, Pretty Boy. These eyes won't be shedding any tears over you anytime soon."

"Would you like a drink, Max?" Alec offered. She was surprised he didn't take the opportunity to start their usual banter.

"Your bottle's empty," she pointed out.

"Is it?" he noticed, looking at it. He bent over to dig in a low cabinet. "No matter," he told her, as he searched, "I've got another one in here somewhere."

Max did not like the view at all. She couldn't seem to move her eyes away from taking in just how good his butt looked. _It must be the jeans_, she dismissed, coming to another thought, _well, it _is_ the genes!_ They were genetically designed to look, well, hot, but she had never been so taken before. Was she in heat or something?

The fearful thought passed through Max's mind. Her eyes grew wide as she contemplated the possibility. She took a moment to consider it before realizing- she wasn't in heat. So why was her mind, and more importantly, her body, reacting to the sight of Alec in this way?

"Nice work, there picking my lock, Maxie. Did it ever cross your mind that if someone doesn't get the door it's because they don't want any company?" Alec asked her rudely as he moved around what looked like a bunch of junk in his cabinet.

Max wished he would hurry up, the view was driving her nuts. "Well, I can leave.." she trailed, seriously considering the idea given her own reactions.

"Here we go!" Alec said, ignoring the comment, his face finally coming into view again as he held up another bottle ceremoniously.

As he poured her a glass, she found herself no longer so brave about confessing the real reason she had stopped by to see him. She wanted to leave before she would do something while she was clearly not in her right mind.

"I..have to go," she tried to excuse herself, turning toward the door.

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a/n: cliffer, yes, evil! sorry. not to worry- next chapter will not disappoint (i hope!) 


	31. Vulnerable

**a/n: **this is definitely a continuation of the last chapter. If the start seems weird or out of place, just read the last part of ch 30 and it will flow a lot better.**

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**Chapter 31: Vulnerable**

"Max," he grabbed her arm gently, his request for her to stay, though he wasn't sure what was behind it. He ought to let her leave, send her out himself, but he didn't want her to go.

At the touch of Alec's hand, Max felt slightly electrified. She turned toward his touch, staring into his eyes with ones full of desire that she was still trying to fight.

He didn't want her to leave, and she realized that she didn't want to, either. She looked from his eyes to his hand, partly pleading with her eyes for him to remove his hand, but she couldn't find it within her to ask with her voice.

He released her from his grip, not really knowing what had overcome him. He didn't apologize however. He set her glass in front of her, letting her decide whether she would stay or not, as he downed his own.

She was probably going to leave, end up feeling disgusted with herself for even dropping by. Then Alec thought of something. He'd never told her where he lived, how did she find him?

"Max," he began, about to ask her, when he was surprised to find himself silenced by Max's delicate touch upon his lips.

"Shh…Pretty Boy," she almost whispered with a devious smile that he had not yet seen on her face. She tilted her head back and took the whole glass in one gulp, still holding her fingers to his lips.

In that instant he knew. She was done fighting herself, and him for that matter. He watched somewhat shocked as she slammed her glass down hard on the table, and faced him with eyes like he'd never seen. There was a fire in them, he had no choice but to answer them.

He pulled her toward him aggressively, pressing his lips forcefully against hers. This kiss was not like the one in the alley. This one had more passion in it than he realized he held for her. It was intensified by unleashing both of their desires that they'd been fighting for so long.

He gave Max what her body was asking for. He didn't need to think about it. Knowing what people wanted came naturally to Alec, but with Max he didn't even need to consider it. His body instinctively responded.

Her hand found his chest, the muscles that had been taunting her this whole time. She stroked them gently, in spite of her aggressive kiss, sending pleasure to both of them.

Max didn't want to give in completely, she was still fighting him as she tasted his lips.

"Max," Alec spoke in a low voice, showing his frustration.

She pulled herself toward him again, silencing him this time with her lips.

He shoved her forcefully against the blank wall. As her head banged hard on the wall, she found her mouth open as she gasped with a mixture of both shock and pain.

Alec took advantage of the situation with his tongue, shoving it at hers before she could refuse. He tasted Max fully, and she was helpless to deny, and only found herself responding more strongly.

They found themselves on his floor, with Alec's welcome touch reaching underneath her shirt. She pulled at his pants, biting him on his shoulder possessively, as she realized he was ready.

He held himself above her, staring at her questioningly, as if they hadn't already given in to each other.

Her brown eyes stared back into his hazel ones hovering right above her without hesitation.

"What about Logan?" he asked her, fighting his desires to take her as his. He was so close that she felt his breath brush against her lips as he spoke.

"What _about _Logan?" she replied, "He's not here."

Alec still hesitated, but did not move. He didn't want to be with Max if after this she would just run back to Logan.

"We're over," she confessed, giving him what he wanted.

"Do you hate me?" he asked her, teasing her with quick kisses along her neck, feeling the frustration and desire within her build as her body grew warmer. He wanted to make her admit that she wanted him.

She moaned slightly before answering. "I hate you," she answered, as she pulled at him, as if he could somehow be closer to her than he already was.

He didn't want to give in to Max at her answer, but he found he couldn't fight his desires any longer.

No more words were spoken.

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Max woke up with a start. She hadn't been planning on sleeping in front of him. Last night had proved more tiring than she'd expected. Of course, it wasn't planned like that. She hadn't even had a plan when she'd first come to his apartment. Something within her had led her to his door. It was like Logan said, she was trying to sort out whatever it was going on inside her.

Max smiled inwardly, remembering the first night she'd met Alec. That night, he had taken off while she slept.

This time, he was still right beside her when she awoke. She stared at his muscled abdomen as it rose with every breath while he slept soundly. She turned onto her back, facing his plain, and chipping ceiling. She felt strange, this was a very new feeling to her. Normally, mornings like this happened after a mistake, inspired by a heat driven moment where she wasn't herself.

She knew that wasn't the case with last night. She had been sure of herself before she allowed anything to happen. She hadn't been reacting against her will because of being in heat. She had made the decision on her own.

She knew that her usual response would be to feel regret and try and find some explanation. But she realized that she didn't hold guilty feelings about her actions. She felt like it was right, and how it should be with Alec.

Although she held no questions about her own actions, she was hesitant about Alec's. She'd seen him at the bars. This type of thing was probably common for him. She found herself feeling cheap and unimportant. She was probably just one name in a long line of conquests for him. She didn't like feeling vulnerable. He surely knew that unlike himself, she didn't do this all the time, and he probably knew that for her, it had meant something.

She didn't hold regret, but she also didn't want to look pathetic in front of him. She got up without a sound. He had left her the first night they'd met. Now, it was her turn to leave unexpectedly.

She wanted answers for her feelings. It couldn't be that she took a natural liking to him, he'd done nothing to earn it. Why was she so drawn to him? She knew that it was probably best to be up front with him and work it out together, but at the moment, she wanted to insult him, stay in control. If she left before he woke up, he wouldn't know that he had meant something to her. If she took off, he wouldn't know that last night she'd given him more than her body- she'd given him her heart.

She opened the door and paused, taking one last look at his peaceful form before leaving.

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Alec woke up as soon as Max shut the door. He could tell she had just left, feeling her absence with more than his transgenic senses. He felt rejected suddenly, in spite of her actions the night before.

Her scent was still surrounding him, it was almost suffocating.

Having Max for one night hadn't completed him like he'd felt at the time. It had only served to further highlight the hole within him. It was like Max was his missing piece. Having her for one night only made him feel her absence further when she was gone. He felt more empty than ever.

He wondered why she'd come at all, before coming up with his own answer. She and Logan were over. He had probably just broken it off with her, and she'd headed to Alec for comfort.

Alec padded over to his shower, wanting to wash away his attachment to Max along with her scent, but knowing that wasn't going to happen with a little water and soap.

Why was it that with Max, he somehow relinquished all control over his emotions? He felt like all his training at Manticore was useless. He was supposed to be able to manipulate people without thought or hesitation, but with Max, it seemed he was on the receiving end. It didn't feel so good to be taken advantage of. He hated her effect on him, he always had.

He remembered her words last night, hating himself just as Max apparently did, but he for a different reason. He wasn't really sure why she hated him. He could only guess that it was because he was everything Logan wasn't. He wasn't concerned with the well-being of the world or the uncovering of mysteries. He was satisfied just messing with people and being light-hearted. He wasn't serious or set to help the unfortunate. He just wanted to get by. He'd been perfectly content living at Manticore, until he'd seen Max.

Why had he been chosen for that mission, anyway? He hadn't even been briefed and yet he identified Max with barely a half-second glimpse at the sight of her. They definitely had a connection, it seemed, but at the moment, he didn't want to explore it.

He stepped out of the shower feeling refreshed, but still tired. Max's rejection had interrupted his sleep. He settled back down comfortably, this time on the couch. Thoughts of Manticore exhausted him until sleep saved him from trying to figure out everything troubling his mind at the moment.

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**a/n**: thanks so much for reading, and for your feedback! Let me know if any of this seems out of character or just bad writing. next ch will be more of Alec's past, I think 


	32. Rachel

**a/n**: OMG, 15,000+ hits on this now! **Thank You **guys, you're amazing! I have a story to tell, I'm not sure how many more chapters there will be. This seems so much longer than I originally planned, but it does have an ending somewhere! In appreciation of the number of hits this story has gotten now, I wanted to take the time to thank every reviewer I've had so far, if you don't mind. If you are bored, by all means, skip to the chapter, but anyway, here it goes, its a long list, so I don't mind if you skip and just read the latest installment. Thanks to:

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-**Pand**: Thanks for your support, sorry but Zack is no longer in this fic, but it is for the better of the storyline. He was meant to leave when he did  
-**Kiwikatipo**: Thanks for the comment. You can probably see by now it is MA, and it will be for the remainder  
-**Rocknroll923**: You are awesome! I swear, you've reviewed just about every chapter! It means a lot to me, and I love your thoughts! They are always fun to read  
-**Nina430**: I am glad you liked MZ, but this one is MA. Sorry if I've disappointed you. If you do love MZ, I do have a MZ oneshot fic, called _Truths_, if you are interested, but anyway, thanks for your comments  
-**Christina**: Thanks so much for the encouragement and your interest  
**-Stef**: Again, thanks for the encouragement  
**-CGI**: Thanks so much for continuing with this story. Right now, Ben is only a very small part to this fic. I introduced something about him that I feel needs an explanation, so when I am done with this fic, which is about Alec, I am considering making a Ben fic to continue that storyline as well as Zack's exit from this one (which was to go searching for Ben)  
-**acb**: Thank you so much for the compliment  
-**Dazedizzy**: Your support really means a lot to me, since I value you so much as an author, so thank you!  
**-AngelKougaeri**: Thank you for the encouragement, I hope I've hit the MA home by now! haha!  
**-tlc4ever312**: Thank you for the compliment! I hope I didn't disappoint later  
**-Embry**: Thank so much for your compliments, and your thoughts!  
**-Jessica:** Thanks for the encouragement and your thoughts. I am always wondering if I'm getting their personalities right, so that meant a lot to me!  
-**Chase**: Thanks so much for the compliments! I hope I've continued that throughout, and haven't dissappointed you!  
**-Loisen**: Thank you for the support! And I agree! (haha!)  
-**lakergirl08**: Hey, thanks for the comments. Right now, I don't think Zack will return in this fic. As for Ben, he isn't the focus, just a small part of this fic. 302 is the only other X5 at this point in time (other than Alec and Max, of course!)  
-**Christique**: So, I love your work, and it means a lot that you support mine! Speaking of which, I hope to see an update from you soon! But I know you are busy  
-**Flash**: Thanks so much for your thoughts on 302. He is still in this, though definitely not a major character. I love writing him, though! And it means a lot that you are enjoying him.  
**-JeepGIRL12:** Thank you much for your comment. I hope you are still enjoying this.  
**-dustori**: You rock! Thanks so much for all your feedback and support! It means so much to me, and I really like your work as well  
**-D: **thanks for the MA support!  
**-a7xvampire**: thank you so much for your thoughts and encouragement!  
**-angeleyes452: **Thank you so much for your compliment!  
**-Amiwilson**- Thanks so much for the encouragement!  
**-src13: **Thank you for your thoughts and compliments! I agree completely:D  
**-Kait: **Thanks so much for the great compliment! LOL, yes, remembering your login would probably be good :)  
**-Liz9**: Thank you so much for your compliment and encouragement!  
**-rogue20**: Thank you so much for the compliment and for reading. That will come for sure, just not this chapter.

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**A/N 2**: Yes, I've included the concept of Rachel, but I gave her an entirely different setting and scenario. I think the whole idea of a "Rachel" like situation and character is critical for Alec to have, but I didn't want to do the same assassin type deal, so here is an introduction to my version of it**

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**Chapter 32: Rachel_  
_**_She smiled innocently, her body language giving it away. She wasn't trained like them. It was really an unfair situation, but she didn't seem to either realize that or care. She placed her gentle hand onto his shoulder, and moved her tiny frame even closer to him._

_In the back of his mind, 494 wondered when she would allow the truth to come to the surface. This was entirely against protocol, and it certainly was not the way any Manticore doctor should act._

_Manticore did several tests before accepting their personnel. They had to be the absolute best, but more than that, they were required to be able to follow orders above all else and not be influenced by anything. They were given seminars every week, reminding them that they were treating not people, but soldiers. Manticore worked very hard and evaluated their staff to ensure that this separation was ever in place and never questioned._

_Their designations helped to reinforce this. It helped to further separate the X soldiers from an image of a person, equal to the staff._

_This doctor was younger than most. She must have been brilliant. Most of the other staffers were older. Not necessarily old, just not so fresh out of school. This one still held a lot of the naiveté and innocence of someone that wasn't exposed to the harsh realities of the world. How in hell she kept this while working for Manticore, one of the darkest places she could be on the employment listing of, was beyond 494. Either she was completely in denial of her whereabouts and the truth of the situation, or she was just crazy._

_494 smiled back at her with a face of desire. Did he really want her? Well, sure, she was young, and pretty damn good looking for someone that wasn't designed to be beautiful, like they were. But he didn't care about her. This was just his weekly ritual, someone to toy with so he wasn't totally bored._

_"Tell me you don't act like this with the other soldiers," he commented, smiling into her eyes._

_She beamed at him, though tried to hide it. It was kind of cute, actually, her weak attempt to hide any feelings from him. As if he hadn't been trained to figure people out immediately, as if he wasn't enhanced and so more perceptive than ordinary people._

_"Act what way?" she asked with a shrug as well as a smile, but it didn't fool him. Her intentions were obvious. She definitely took a special liking to him._

_He enjoyed thrusting her feelings in her face, but something about her made him not want to take advantage of it, just to make it so she wouldn't deny it._

_"You're right," he said with a sigh, "I mean, if it wasn't for your nametag, I wouldn't even know who you are."_

_He took the moment to graze his finger across her nametag, before focusing on her with a look so intense, she literally blushed as he spoke her name. "Rachel" he spoke in a soft and deep voice._

_She cleared her throat lightly before commenting. "It's Doctor Rachel," she replied softly but with a firmness about it, establishing a boundary. So apparently she did realize this situation wasn't exactly what Manticore intended it to be._

_"Okay, Doc," Alec said joking, "What's my diagnosis?"_

_She bit her lip just a little before bending over to retrieve a syringe from her bag. "Now you know that's not why I'm here," she commented._

_He didn't know where the reaction came from, but he grabbed her arm, asking her to face him. She gasped out of surprise to his reaction, and dropped the syringe. Even though it fell to floor, she didn't make a move to pick it up. She seemed stuck, transfixed, staring at 494 closer than she knew was right, but being unable to back away, captured completely in the moment._

_The seriousness in his eyes changed as he realized he was showing too much. This wasn't real for him, it was just a game. He needed to regain control of the situation._

_He loosened up and changed his serious face back to its typical smirk before commenting, "So why are you here then, Doc. Come to keep me company?" He raised his eyebrow mischievously, "You know, we could skip that whole administering bit, and do something else to pass the time."_

_She pulled away from his stare, finding her breath again, realizing it had been caught in her throat when she was staring into his eyes._

_She looked at him disappointedly. "I know that isn't what you want," she insisted. "If it was, I wouldn't act that way."_

_It was her own little way of admitting to him that he was right, without really admitting it. She bent down again to retrieve the syringe. "Well, now I'll have to sanitize this," she complained before getting a sanitized gauze out of her bag._

_494 frowned as she looked away. He didn't like the thought that she knew him. He didn't think she did, he knew she didn't. She just knew the person he had shown her. A person that she could grow to desire, grow attached to. Clearly she wasn't the type to bite for the cat and mouse game. Too bad, it would have been more fun._

_494 studied her further as she cleaned the syringe. No, Rachel was not the type for that at all. He stared at her, assessing her like he'd been trained to do in the field, a task he was so skilled at, he could do it in his sleep._

_Something struck him as he took in all that she was. It was her innocence. She was just so innocent! What the hell was she doing at Manticore?_

_"How did a girl like you come to work at Manticore?" he asked her, not in his joking manner. He found he could no longer just casually joke with her. Something about her persona called him to be serious. He felt the urge to protect her. She was too good to be mixed up in a place so dark. His stare forced her to answer it. She couldn't just slide over the question. 494 wondered how she would answer. Was it that she was truly unaware of the darkness of the place? Or was she not as great as he initially thought, and knew how terrible it was yet stayed._

_"I…" she began, hesitantly, "I need to get this procedure overwith."_

_494 didn't look away. Though usually all he did was flirt with her, today he wanted some answers. He realized he was getting attached, a feeling he withdrew from and avoided whenever possible. Though he'd started off flirting just to keep himself occupied and not bored, and also so things would go easier for him, the urge to protect her was shoving aside his usual self-serving attitude and pride. "Rachel," he pleaded, though with force in his voice._

_She looked ashamed as she looked at him. Or was it pity? "I just want to help people," she insisted, before looking away, tears forming in her eyes._

_"I can't do this!" She exclaimed before sobbing uncontrollably._

_"Rachel!" 494 spoke. This time it was not to serve his own curiosity, he was truly concerned for the young doctor. He brushed her dark her out of her face, and held her as she sobbed in his arms._

_Her frame was so tiny, yet it fit perfectly into his strong arms. He thought perhaps she would recoil at his touch, but she only fell further into his embrace, accepting how warm his body felt against hers._

_"I'm, I'm sorry," she stammered, coming to her feet, and trying to find some composure._

_"It's okay," 494 responded, comforting._

_He realized he'd gone too far. He hadn't realized she cared this much. He wouldn't press anything further for the day._

_He picked up the syringe, and held it out for her. "Here," he said, "Do what you came here to do." He meant it to help her, so that she wouldn't question herself any further, but to his surprise, she rejected it._

_She shook her head, insisting, "No, I can't do it." She looked at him with a longing in her eyes, and reached out to touch his hand, but only to close it around the syringe. "I can't do it," she repeated._

_Her touch was so fragile, innocent just like her heart. 494 couldn't bare to see her in this pain any more. He gripped the syringe tighter, and held it up to his forearm. "It's okay," he said, "You don't have to."_

_She didn't try to make him stop, but only watched in obvious pain as he punctured his own skin, and pumped the mysterious chemical into his body._

_She swallowed as he finished, and when he removed it and handed it back to her empty, she accepted it and placed it back into her bag._

_She turned to him slowly, smiling again. But it was clearly fake. She wasn't really happy. But she wanted to be happy for him, it seemed, if only to give him some sort of hope in spite of the fact that he was standing in a cell and had just allowed an unknown chemical to go coursing through his bloodstream._

_"I'll be back in a week," she reminded him, as if he wasn't aware of their usual meeting._

_"I'll be waiting," he spoke, lifting his hand to stroke her cheek as she got up to leave._

_She turned toward his touch for a moment before gripping the door handle. "Goodbye, 494."_

_"Goodbye Rachel."_

-----

Alec woke up with a start, his heart pounding. He stared at his surroundings, taking it all in. He wasn't trapped in his cell. He was looking at his crappy apartment. It was just a dream.

Alec got up, cursing at his memories and weaknesses. If he really was such a great soldier, he wouldn't be feeling like this. It seemed he still had his own demons to battle before he could really be with Max.

_If she'll have me_, he thought bitterly. The woman was finally single, but was she really? It seemed Max always was attached to something so that she wouldn't let anyone in. She was in a constant state of denial, it seemed. He remembered her indications that she and Logan weren't "even like that" as far as dating. Yet she admitted that whatever she had with the man was now "over".

"I hate you", he heard her voice ringing in his head. He pounded his fist onto his counter. She was so rejecting. And he loved it. She was intoxicating.

Alec shook his thoughts away as best he could. He had to get it together. His unanswered questions as well as his desire for Max were driving him crazy. He thought for a bit before coming to a decision. He didn't really want to go through with it, but he didn't really have a choice. How else was he to find his answers?

He pulled on a leather jacket and his favorite shades before stepping to the door. He took one last sniff of the air around him, taking in the scent of Max that still remained. As he shut the door, and walked determined to his motorbike, he thought for a moment. Should he call first?

He smirked as he decided against it. It would be more fun to take the man by surprise.

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**a/n**: Thanks much for reading! You know I love feedback! 

ps- any MA reader who is missing the MA banter, I will try to put it in here, but if you're really lacking, my story _Finding the Past_, chapter 15 has a lot of good MA banter!


	33. Help

**a/n**: thanks to everyone for their reviews! It really does help me to keep going with this.  
Well, this chapter may have some people saying my story is definitely NOT ML or Logan friendly anymore! I didn't mean for it to be that way, but I could see how someone would think that. Sry if there are any ML fans reading this who feel cheated or upset

if someone wants a reminder of Alec's past, its in chapters 18, 25, and 32 so far. (i had to re-read them for my writing!) well, here's the next installment...

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**Chapter 33: Help**

Alec pulled up to the familiar place. Should he knock? He could always just come right in.

Alec decided on knocking. He tried not to grin mischievously as he heard the man wheeling over to the door from inside, but he couldn't help it. Something about coming face to face with Logan today, immediately after having all of Max for one night, only allowed for one expression on his face, and that definitely wasn't the face of a person in need. In fact, Alec, despite being rejected that morning, felt like downright beaming.

As the door creaked open, Alec found himself wanting to laugh. Something about the situation was incredibly humorous to him. He knew he had to keep some of it in check, though, otherwise the man might refuse to help him.

"What the hell do you want?" Logan spat at him.

"Aww, now Logan Cale…I thought your hospitality stretched a bit further than _that._ Well, at least _I_ know where my manners are. Good to see you, Logan!" Alec said sarcastically with a nod.

"No, it's not good to see you, Alec. Pardon me, but I save my manners for more deserving people. And what exactly are you doing here? Come to rob me? Sorry, but this time I won't let Max swoop in and save your ass."

Alec laughed slightly at Logan's hostility. He smiled at the man, and returned with a hint that he was looking for some help. "Now Logan. Like yourself, I've learned from my privileged past. I come to you as a man in need of another man's help at continuing to help the downtrodden and the weak."

"You want my help?" Logan asked Alec, finally changing his frown to a smile. It wasn't that he was happy. It was just that the request was absolutely absurd. "You'll have to forgive me if I don't believe you."

"Can I come in so we can talk about this?" Alec asked him, knowing Logan's curiosity and incessant need to know everything would provide the opportunity for him to speak his mind.

"Aren't we talking right now?" Logan asked, not moving for Alec. "And who said I agree to even considering this? You either tell me something to spark my interest, or I'm slamming this door and your request in your arrogant face."

"My face has been called many things, Logan, but arrogant is not one," Alec replied, only continuing to be a smart ass.

"Well, I guess that's my answer," Logan replied before reaching up to shut the door, "And there's _your _answer, as well."

"Wait!" Alec said as he held the door firmly in place. He knew Logan didn't have the strength to shut it with Alec on the other end.

Logan glared at Alec but didn't say anything more.

"It's about Manticore," Alec admitted.

At this, Logan released the door, but still remained in the path of Alec and coming inside. Logan folded his arms, feeling disbelief but also curiosity. "And why exactly is someone who grew up in the place and only escaped- what, 2 months ago?- coming to _me_ for help with Manticore?"

"Look, just let me in, Logan, and I'll tell you exactly what I need and why I've come to you for help," Alec said, finally serious.

Logan laughed at Alec's request, but did wheel aside so he could come in. "I'm only letting you in because I just have to hear this. I mean, this has got to be good. You're coming in here to a place you scaled to rob, after you _did_ steal my phone-"

"Max's phone," Alec corrected him after he'd stepped inside.

"Ate my meal-" Logan continued, ignoring the interruption, and closing the door behind Alec.

"Max's meal," Alec again corrected him, "Did I ever say thanks for that? You're a hell of a cook, Logan! Speaking of which…ya got something you could whip up here? I was in such a rush to get over here that I didn't get a bite to eat."

Logan allowed himself to frown again at Alec's comment. He really wasn't in the mood to joke around with anyone, least of all Alec. Having just ended things for who knew how long with Max, he really only wanted to get to the point. Seeing Alec ask for his help was no longer amusing.

"What do you want?" Logan replied.

"Well, I think I just said a meal would be nice," Alec answered.

"If that's all you want, get out. You're a grown man and I'm pretty sure Manticore made you independent enough to feed your own damn self." Logan turned away, hoping the transgenic would leave.

"Okay, Log, you got me. Like I said, I need your help with something to do with Manticore."

Logan held an odd smile on his face. He wasn't sure if Alec was mocking him or if he really did need Logan's help. "What if I don't want to help you," Logan told Alec rather than asked.

"Well," Alec replied, "I guess I would have to convince Maxie to ask for your help, cuz I know you can't say no to her!"

Logan glared at him. "Not that you care, but you're out of line. I'm curious, but I'm also not a door mat. If you want to just mock me and use me, I meant what I said, you can, and _will_ leave."

Alec tried to resist the urge to continue messing with Logan. The man just became so worked up so easily! It really was entertaining for Alec.

Since Alec didn't respond for once, Logan continued. "I'm still wondering how exactly I could help you, let alone _if _I'd help you. If you're wanting blueprints for some heist, you can forget it."

Alec stared intently at the man. Now he was just trying to rub his apparent feeling of superiority over Alec. Alec knew who was truly superior, Logan surely did as well. But Logan clearly felt that where morals were concerned, he had one up on Alec, and Alec knew he was reveling in the act of rubbing it in Alec's face.

Coming to Logan for help, Alec expected this reaction. _Too bad for Logan Max thinks _I'm _superior_, Alec thought with a smile, though really not so sure Max felt that way. Either way, the thought and taste of Max that still lingered in his mind and lips helped him to feel just as confident as ever even when asking for Logan's help.

This was already becoming too big of a deal. Alec just needed some information and then he'd be done with Cale. Toying with the man was getting boring, and it was time to get down to business.

"You have data on the staff at Manticore?" Alec asked.

"Some," Logan answered curtly. It didn't really answer Alec at all. But Alec could tell. He was good at reading people. Logan clearly did have information, the question was how much.

"I need to know about a doctor who works there." Alec paused, feeling the guilt and loss that he didn't want to claim as his own which came with the next statement. "Or _worked_ there. I know she was there 4 months ago. Can you check that time frame?"

"Well a name would be helpful," Logan replied condescendingly.

Alec this time swallowed the rude comment that was itching to come out. He needed to get this done now. "Her name is Rachel," he informed Logan, seeing a flashback as he told Logan the name. "Rachel Berrisford."

_"Do you have it?" 494 asked the guard._

_The man on the other side of the bars held up a file to slip through the bars. "Got it right here."_

_494 made a grab for it, but the guard pulled it back. "Eh," the guard said, "Just one second. You got the stuff?"_

_494 smirked at the man. "What do you think? Don't I always come through?" He shook a bottle of pills of some kind for the man to see and hear._

_The guard grinned and allowed 494 to grab the file through the bars. "So, got a thing for Dr. Young, Hot, and Single, eh?" the man couldn't help rudely inquiring._

_494 looked up to the man with a cold expression. It clearly read for the guard to back off without 494 saying so._

"_Yea, I took a peak. Marital Status is Single. Nice pics, too! Cute smile on that young thing," the guard continued._

_Normally, 494 returned such typical comments regarding women with a man's response, something to the lines of 'I know, nice, huh?'. But hearing the guard speak that way of someone like Rachel bothered 494. Clearly just giving the man a look wasn't going to get him to stay out of it._

"_Why don't you shut up and mind your own business," 494 suggested, handing off the pills to the guard, "That is, as long as you'd like to continue _this _business."_

_The guard laughed at his emotional reply. "Fine. I don't care. You've got 20 minutes to do whatever you'd like with those pictures. That's it, then I need to put that back before someone notices."_

_494 opened up the folder firmly, looking up at the guard and wondering why he was still there. 494 gave him a nod. "See you in 20, then," he dismissed the guard._

_494 did take a look at the picture first. She looked so peaceful and happy, just as always. He couldn't help but have a peaceful smile come over himself as he took in the sight of her, even if it was only in a photo._

_"Rachel Berrisford…" he said out loud, glancing at her file._

_The background was typical. Only child to a successful father and mother. She'd excelled in her classes while achieving her doctorate. Received several awards and honors for her intelligence and initiative._

_"Yea, yea.." 494 mumbled as he read the standard background. He skimmed faster, trying to get to the good part. The one that would tell him her current position and duties, since apparently it was no longer to administer shots to his cell._

_Just as he came to something describing her work at Manticore, a clanging on his cell's bars shook his concentration and focus._

_He looked up to see the guard back. "What?" 494 asked, annoyed._

_The guard looked anxious. "Hey, I need that back. Now!"_

_494 wasn't finished yet. Besides, the man had told him 20 minutes. "Why?" 494 demanded._

_The guard looked around, to make sure no one was onto him, it seemed. "Look, I just heard on the radio, they're coming to the office. What if they notice? I'll bring it back in 15!"_

_494 groaned and reluctantly handed him back the file. "Fine. I'll be waiting."_

_After the guard left with the file, 494 began questioning just what exactly he was doing. Snooping around and digging information up wasn't something he was used to or enjoyed doing. It made him feel uncomfortable. He was investing too much into this, into her._

_Something of her sudden disappearance bothered him. What if his crazy cellmate was right? What if she was gone?_

He told me it was my fault_, 494 thought, recalling what his cellmate had told him about the doctor leaving._

_494 needed to see that report. He had a horrible feeling that 302 was right. But he didn't want to believe it. More than that, it didn't make sense. _How could I have caused her demise?_, 494 couldn't help thinking._

_Before he could further consider his own reasons for his actions or theorize of Rachel's whereabouts, the guard returned._

_494 looked up impatiently, wondering why the guard wasn't handing the folder to him. "Where is it?" 494 asked anxiously._

_The guard only shrugged, looking confused. "I don't know, man. They took it for some reason."_

_494 flashed an angry and frantic stare at the man momentarily before regaining control of his emotions and actions. "What do you mean by that?" he asked, hoping the guard was mistaken._

_"I can't believe they wanted the exact same file as you!" The guard looked to his watch. "Listen, I have to go."_

_"Hey!" 494 protested, "We had a deal!"_

_"Sorry! What do you want me to do, go steal it right out of the director's hands? Forget about it! Get your little pictures somewhere else!"_

_494 glared at him, "I didn't just want some damn photos. I need to see that file."_

_The guard shrugged again. "I'm sorry, I couldn't help it. But I really need to leave now. Thanks for getting those pills for me again." With that, the guard turned and left in a haste._

_494 pounded his fist at the wall, overcome with his frustration and confusion. "What the hell does the director want with that file?" he asked out loud._

_His creepy cellmate finally came out of the shadows of their cell to make his presence, and prying eyes, known. "She wants to destroy it," 302 blurted._

_494 noticed the light reflecting off the blonde strands of hair covering his cellmate's forehead and resting just beside his brown eyes that held the golden glint of insanity. "What do you mean destroy it?" 494 asked. He couldn't help it, even though he was sure whatever answer would come, it would only serve to further show 302's insanity and only frustrate 494 even more._

_"Make it so she never existed," 302 replied._

_Usually he was more cryptic. He normally seemed to want 494 to figure it out with his bizarre hints. But this time he was coming right out with it. It was plausible, but 494 didn't want to hear it. "Shut up," he spat at the other transgenic._

_"Like I said," 302 continued, "She's gone. She was too weak and selfish, and it cost her her life."_

_"Shut up!" 494 demanded, louder this time._

_"It was you, you made her want you for herself," 302 still continued._

_494 leapt to hold his cellie up by the throat. It was a position he'd held him in before, but it was not often that 302 upset him enough to get in such a position. "I said shut up!" 494 demanded before releasing the weaker transgenic._

"Rachel Berrisford…" Logan's voice pulled Alec back to his current situation. Logan was typing away at his computer. It seemed Alec had perked his interests enough to at least check and see if he had the information Alec needed.

"Yep…looks like there was a Rachel Berrisford working there as a doctor at that time. But the dates end 2 months ago. It seems she quit at that time," Logan informed Alec.

Alec swallowed hard at the statement. "Or," he countered, "She was terminated."

"Right," Logan commented in agreement. Only it was clear to Alec he didn't gather that Alec meant _permanent_ termination, as in ending her life.

"Damn," Alec blurted. He'd been hoping to find a trail to follow, to find out what happened to her. He wanted to find some closure of some sort on whatever it was that was still making the memory of her have such a hold on him just as much as he wanted to know what he'd been getting injected with all that time.

It seemed that Rachel had known. And somehow, her attachment to Alec made it difficult for her to administer the shots. _And somehow,_ Alec continued in his head, _her refusal to continue with them caused her to be…gone_.

There was a chance she was still alive, though. After all, it was just her job that had ended. Maybe Manticore had some mercy after all, or at least desired minimal damage, and had only relocated her, or maybe tampered with her memories.

Whatever really had happened, Alec wanted and needed to know and see with his own eyes exactly what had become of Rachel Berrisford since the last day he'd seen her at Manticore.

"Any way to find out what happened to her after her Manticore employment ended?" Alec asked.

"Why are you so interested in her?" Logan asked, intruding on something Alec preferred to keep to himself. But it seemed he wouldn't continue without some more information from Alec. It must have been difficult for Logan to help Alec. _Considering what his regard is toward me_, Alec thought, annoyed. He didn't want to tell Logan anything. But who else would have Logan's resources?

"Come on. I'll pay you if you want, I just need this Logan." Alec pleaded. "I promise, I'm not looking to rob her," he added with a slight smirk.

"I don't want your money," Logan rejected his offer. He studied Alec, clearly trying to figure out his reasoning or intentions.

"Well, there's nothing here. But I could talk to my contacts, do a search. I'll need a physical description, though." Logan couldn't believe he was helping Alec. But something of the look in Alec's eyes, along with Logan's own need to help people, called him to give in and at least try to do something. Of course, he didn't have to try _hard_. He felt more than justified with simply looking into the matter. It wasn't like he was going to put in on priority, though.

Logan expected Alec to spit off what she looked like, but was shocked when Alec slapped a slightly crumpled photograph in front of him, coming from his pocket.

Logan eyed Alec, as if asking for an explanation, but when none was offered, he only took the photo and scanned it into his computer.

"Well," Logan began, "I can send this off to some contacts. I should know something by the end of the week, even if that something is nothing."

Alec nodded, understanding. "Okay."

Logan handed the photo back to Alec after it was done scanning.

Alec took it and pocketed it again. It was an awkward exchange. Alec knew he didn't seem the type to keep a girl's photo. That was probably because he wasn't. But he couldn't help taking it the one day that he had seen just a glimpse of her file at Manticore.

Alec turned to leave. "Well, I guess I'll be seeing you at the end of the week then."

As Alec held onto the doorknob, he paused before turning it. He turned to face Logan again. "Thanks," he said sincerely to the man.

Logan nodded. "Tell Max I said hi," he commented.

The mention of Max made Alec feel uncomfortable again. He faced Logan, searching to see if the man somehow knew.

"I mean, you'll see her at work, right?" Logan explained at Alec's confused face, "She told me you got a job at JamPony. Something about you being able to bother her on a regular basis now!" Logan meant it as a lighthearted joke, but something in his light gesture at a possible friendly understanding between 2 men caused an awkward feeling to settle in the room.

"Right!" Alec said with a smile. "Work!…Which is where I'll be heading then. I guess I'm late now."

Logan laughed, "Yea, well. Something tells me you'll think of something to tell Normal."

Alec smiled warmly to the man. He didn't clique with Logan, but the man was decent enough. If he came through with information on Rachel, Alec would really owe him, and he'd certainly done nothing to deserve Logan's assistance.

"Well," Alec excused himself, "I'll be in touch, then."

Logan nodded as Alec opened the door and left.

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a/n: Thanks for reading! Especially since this is the longest chapter yet. Let me know what you think of this one! 


	34. The Boy is Mine

**Chapter 34: The Boy is Mine**

"Speakin' of ya boy," Cindy replied with a nod toward the door.

"He's not my boy," Max blurted. But she felt completely the opposite of what she'd just said. Even hearing Cindy say the words made Max smile on the inside at their truth. Of course it wasn't _literally_ true, since Alec was a free man, but it still was nice to hear.

Max looked up to see 'her boy' walking in nonchalantly, as confident a walk as ever. Although Max was happy to see him and drawn to him, at least, her body seemed to be, the way it was reacting, she groaned in displeasure. Max didn't want to see him right _now_. She'd just finished telling Cindy what happened between the two of them, not thinking he would show up since he was so late.

Max swallowed as she stared. She really had an attraction to him. His every movement seemed to call to her. She found herself wanting to greet him with a sweet, sensual kiss, not only for her own pleasure, but also to mark him as hers. She knew how the girls around JamPony were. Ever since Golden Boy's arrival they'd been swooning over him, among other things probably.

"Awkward?" Cindy asked, wondering what was going through her friend's head at the moment.

"Not exactly," Max admitted, getting up as she noticed Alec coming her way. Even though her body and mind were still drawn to him, she wanted to escape the situation before she let on how much she enjoyed the sight and company of him.

"Got a package for me?" she called to Normal as she headed to him faster and more eager than she probably ever had before.

"Not so fast, Golden Boy!" Normal called over Max, completely ignoring her for the moment.

Max felt herself tense as she noticed Alec coming toward Normal to see what he wanted.

"Package?" Max asked Normal again, a little more panic and force in her voice this time.

"Normal!" Alec greeted the man with a pat on his shoulder. "Good to see you, bud!"

"You're late," Normal informed Alec, as if he didn't know.

Max cringed as she was now standing in between the 2 of them and they were talking over her. _So much for avoiding him!_, she thought angrily, noticing Normal didn't even have a package sitting out for her to just grab so she could get the hell out of there.

"Yea," Alec said, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry, about that, buddy. I had something to take care of this morning."

Max wanted to ask what exactly that was, but that would mean acknowledging his presence, and so she kept her lips tightly shut, hoping Normal would get back to doing his whole 'Bip bip' thing.

Alycia, one of the girls that worked there, came up to Alec and started stroking his arm. "Ohhhh, Alec! Please tell me you're not sick!"

At the sight and the possessive feeling that was overpowering Max, she decided to break her vow of silence. "Well, if he _was_, I guess that you would be, too, then, what with not being able to take your hands off of him!" Max snapped at the girl. "Ever heard of germs?" she added rudely.

"Max," Alec finally greeted her with a nod and a brief but intense stare. "Nothing to worry about, I don't have cooties!"

"If you aren't sick, then why are you late?" Normal asked him.

Alycia meanwhile was still holding onto Alec. Although it was obvious he wasn't enjoying or responding to her touch, it bothered Max that he wasn't backing away from it. "Do you mind?" Max asked Alycia.

"What? Are you two dating or something?" Alycia blurted.

"Normal, don't you have a package or something for her to get to?" Max asked, ignoring the girl's question.

"Yea!" he said, finally it seemed remembering that he had a place to run. "Okay! 4th and Euclid! Go!" he said to Alycia, tossing a package at her.

Max smiled as the girl's hand finally removed itself from Alec so that she could catch the box that was tossed at her head. _That's right, bitch! Get your hands off of him, he's mine!_

"Here!" Normal called, tossing one to Cindy, and another one to Max.

As soon as both girls were out of the hearing range of even a transgenic, Max turned to Cindy and tried to deny what she couldn't admit to wanting to be true. "Like I said…he's not my boy."

Cindy rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, suga! But please tell me that you ain't gonna avoid him forever now."

"Why can't I?" Max asked, though not being completely serious.

"You got ta figure that connection thing out, right? Find out about Manticore, right?"

Max frowned. "Yea, I just can't escape that damn place, can I?" She hated admitting that Cindy was right. She really did need to come clean to Alec so they could work together to find out what was up.

Max hopped onto her bike and turned to Cindy one last time before seeing to delivering her package. "Meet me for lunch?" she suggested.

Cindy nodded as she got onto her own bike. "You know it!" she accepted. "The usual spot."

-------

Max squeezed Sketchy lightly on the shoulder once the whole crew had arrived at the usual spot. "Your turn to buy!" she reminded him.

"Aw, man!" he complained. "Come on, Max. Pay day isn't until tomorrow. You know me! I'm completely broke as of right now."

Alec slapped Sketchy on the back, pulling out his wallet with his other hand. "I got ya covered for today, Sketchy."

Max rolled her eyes. "Figures," she mumbled.

"What's that, Maxie?" Alec asked her, his first direct question at her all day.

"Well it figures," she said, her head cocked slightly to the side and her arms folded. "That you'd have extra cash lyin' around." She remembered how she'd seen it lying there at his apartment when she'd been there.

"That isn't the only thing lyin' around in my apartment, Maxie. But you already knew that, didn't you?" He sent her his usual suggestive stare and smirk.

Max felt a burn coming over her cheeks. She didn't blush easily. His effect on her seemed completely out of her control.

"Let the man pay for our fine meal," Herbal told Max. He then turned to Sketchy. "We all been there before, man. Nothing to get upset about. Let it roll off ya like water."

Max stood up. "I think I'm gonna roll on out of here," she said abruptly.

"And why's that, Max?" Herbal asked.

Max stared at Alec's back as he was standing in line waiting to pay. The view again was all too pleasing for her. She noticed his hand as it casually rested to his side. She felt the urge to grab it and give him a cute kiss on the cheek. Max didn't know what was going on. It was all the more reason to talk to Alec about it so she could do something about it before she lost total control of her thoughts and actions as it seemed she was headed toward.

Max swallowed, actually nervous as she realized she _had_ to do something. She needed to talk to Alec, alone. She turned to Herbal, "I'm not really hungry. I'm gonna go say goodbye to Alec."

She walked up to him and tried not to pay attention to how good he looked just standing there and how good he tasted the night before. Her tongue suddenly felt dry as she approached him and realized just how much she wanted to taste him again. She noticed his hand yet again, and had to shove her hand in her own pocket to prevent herself from grabbing his.

It was a weird feeling. It wasn't that she had lost control. That happened when she was in heat. This was something totally different. She still had control, it was just…her thoughts and desires. They weren't going after everything in sight, like when she was in heat. It was like after last night, she only had eyes for Alec. She couldn't recall wanting someone so badly before.

She wanted to make it quick, but he wasn't paying any attention. _Damnit, Alec!_, she thought as she realized she was going to have to touch him to get his attention. As she forced herself to finally make contact with his skin, she felt a shrill tickling go through her fingers and down her spine, ignited by the feel of his skin.

He turned immediately toward her soft, recognizable touch. His eyes were wide with a passionate stare, and she returned with one just as full of desire. He stared at her hand that had moved instinctively from his shoulder to his chest, and then back into her dark eyes. "Max?" he asked her, in a low rugged voice that reminded her of how it sounded to hear him yell it the night before.

Max only then noticed she was still holding her hand against him and she quickly pulled it away and tried not to stare at his lips as she spoke. "Alec, we need to talk," she told him.

Alec rolled his eyes slowly. "If this is about last night-" he said quiet enough so that only she could hear.

"It isn't," she quickly corrected him.

"Then what?"

"I'll tell you tonight. Meet me-"

"At my apartment?" he suggested with a suggestive look.

"At Gilla's. For dinner," Max decided. It was a restaurant, quiet enough for them to speak in privacy, but public enough for her not to let her desires and attraction toward him get the better of her.

"Are you asking me on a date?" Alec asked her with his smart-ass grin.

Max rolled her eyes. "Don't get so full of yourself, Pretty Boy! You're paying anyways."

"Oh, am I?" Alec asked her. "So you want me to take _you_ out, then."

"It'll make up for you not buying me lunch now," Max explained innocently. She backed away, ready to leave. "7!" she whispered, but she knew that he, being a transgenic, would hear it.

**------**

As Max walked off, Alec was left to smile not only at the view but also at her reaction. He could smell her increased desire whenever she was around him. Especially when she'd touched him, it was clear. She wanted him.

He couldn't deny that he felt the same way. He was definitely drawn to her. It was more than that, really. Why else would he break out of Manticore at the mere glimpse of her from afar? He wanted to be with her completely again.

It was strange, but he felt a sort of claim to her. Not that she was property by any means. She meant more to him than anyone ever had before. He felt the same need to protect her as he had with Rachel. But it was different with Max. She could take care of herself.

He'd had one night stands before with other women without such a lasting effect. It wasn't even their most intimate moment together that had done it. He'd known he felt this way about her from the first time he'd tasted her lips.

Although he didn't own Max at all and he respected how independent she was, he still enjoyed the way it sounded in his head. She was done with Logan, and now she wanted him. Max was all his. At least, he would allow himself to believe that just for the day.

* * *

a/n: Thanks for reading and for your reviews! 


	35. Exquisite

**Chapter 35: Exquisite**

"So…" Max said shyly with a coy grin. The situation, including their attire, made her laugh. It seemed neither one was sure what to say first.

"Are you laughing at my expense, Maxie?" he asked her with a laugh of his own.

"Just…look at us. This isn't really standard for me," she admitted. Both transgenics were dressed elegantly. The establishment had a strict dress code. Max hadn't considered that fact earlier when she'd suggested the place. She was only thinking of the great meal she'd be getting for free. It was only when she'd mentioned the plan to Cindy that she was reminded she needed to dress for the occasion.

Max felt amazing, really. She had been worried it would be awkward, that she wouldn't know what to say or how to get him to understand. But she felt so comfortable and at ease just sitting across from Alec, in spite of everything weighing on her mind.

She enjoyed seeing him wearing a nice tuxedo with a tie. He had this adorable sheepish grin on his chiseled face. His expression didn't take away from the class of his outfit, though. Max tried to bring to mind a word that described Alec's appearance at the moment. He looked…

"Exquisite," a waitress said out of nowhere.

Max looked up with wide eyes. It was like she'd been reading Max's mind! "Pardon?" Max asked her, shocked that the woman knew what Max had been thinking.

"How is it?" The woman repeated.

Max laughed at her own thoughts that were clearly getting the better of her. "Delicious," she returned before laughing some more.

Alec gave Max a questioning stare as the waitress walked to another table.

"I'm not used to this!" Max tried to explain away any questions he might have of what was causing her amusement.

"Eating a meal?" he joked.

Alec stared into Max's eyes with a quiet calmness in his own. He couldn't help it, staring at her the way he was. He felt truly happy even if it wasn't a real date. Not that he was the dating type anyway. It was just good to get to sit across and stare at a happy Max. The last time they were in this position, he had been the substitute set of shoulders for her to figuratively, well, and literally, cry upon.

The thought reminded him of how she'd stared at him before. She'd been searching him for Ben, his psychotic twin brother, who for all they knew was still free somewhere, doing whatever it was that psychos do. He wondered if Max would rather be enjoying this meal with Ben than himself.

Max couldn't help smiling in response to his usual sarcasm as she rolled her eyes. "Yes, that's it! Thank you for sharing the joys of eating with me!"

Alec continued to be less than serious. He wouldn't bring up Ben unless Max's eyes again called him to be her lost brother instead of her...well, whatever it was that she allowed herself to consider Alec and what he was to her. "Well, I'm sorry that this is the best I can do, buy you a meal. I'm not a good cook…that I know of. Come to think of it, I've never tried my hand at cooking."

"What are you trying to say, Alec? You have absolutely no shortcomings? No weaknesses?" Max couldn't help asking.

"Maybe I have one," he admitted, giving her a knowing smile. But he didn't make any further indication as to what exactly his weakness was.

Max felt a tingling go up her spine. Part of her could guess what his weakness was, but she didn't dare say it.

"You like your meal?" Alec asked her, once again saying just the right thing. She couldn't handle any more conversation regarding whatever it was that made Alec lose his cool.

Max nodded as she took a small bite. It really was delicious. She didn't often eat truly great food. No one did really ever since the Pulse. Only the wealthy.

"You look stunning, by the way," Alec couldn't help complimenting her. She was wearing an outfit Cindy had helped put together at the last minute. It was a plain black dress that was very elegant but still complimentary to her figure. It flaunted her tiny frame while still holding up her breasts. The neckline was low, but it was set off slightly by a silver necklace she'd taken the liberty of borrowing from a shop window she'd passed on the way to the place. Her long raven hair was straight and flowing with a healthy shine all the way to where it ended, at the top of her chest.

Max usually didn't take compliments well. She tended to blow them off, along with their sender. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate it or anything. It was just that she'd done nothing to deserve her looks. They were only given to her because she was designed to be more attractive and thus easier to have an advantage or get what she wanted given the right situation.

However, when Alec said it to her, there was something more to it. She could tell in his stare and the way he held himself together when he'd said it. He hadn't meant her outfit or figure. He clearly was noting her attitude and the smile she had spread across her face, the light shining in her eyes as she allowed herself to have a happy evening with him.

"Alec," Max began, finally getting to the point of the evening, at least, the reason she thought she'd planned this whole thing. "So, there's something we should discuss."

"How we're paying for this?" he joked, pretending like he didn't have the money to cover it.

"Very funny!" she told him. _Great_, she thought_, so typical. Just when I _want _him to be serious, he goes and starts joking around again._

Alec noted the seriousness in her eyes. "Whatever you want," he told her. Words she enjoyed hearing all too well. They reminded her of her thoughts that morning when she'd wanted to claim him as hers. She suddenly felt that feeling run through her again, and wondered why she was fighting kissing him again. Would it really be so horrible?

"I want you," she blurted in response.

Alec's eyes widened at her confession. He couldn't be hearing her right. "Max?" he asked her in confusion. He could tell that she wanted him. Just like from earlier. He'd seen desire enough to recognize it head on. He knew that if he planted his lips against hers right then, she wouldn't fight it at all. But he held back. Even though he wanted it just as badly, he wanted something else more. He wanted her to _choose_ him, consciously, without letting her desires take over her thoughts. He wanted not only her desire and passion, he wanted her heart and mind as well.

Alec's own selfish desires helped him to hold his distance and actions. He felt weakened by her. It was a bittersweet love he'd seemed to find in Max. He wanted her more than he'd probably wanted anyone else before. And yet, she brought out a vulnerability that he'd never had to succumb to before. He wasn't whipped, but just knowing that Max's happiness was starting to mean more to him than his own wasn't exactly easy to accept.

"I want…to talk to you," Max tried to correct herself, again feeling a burning sensation heating up her skin, especially her cheeks. But it wasn't so much out of embarrassment anymore. It was out of her thoughts of what she'd just said. She wanted him. She really did.

"Listen, something is going on between us," she admitted, hoping he would figure out where she was going with this and save her the trouble of having to say it out loud.

_Oh, God, no!_, he thought hearing her words. She wanted to have 'the talk'. The 'we're ruining a good friendship' talk? Well, they'd never really been the best of buds, had they? So maybe it was the 'I didn't mean what happened last night' talk. Or maybe, 'You took advantage of me you cheap bastard'?

But the worst one of all was the most likely. The 'let's talk about our feelings because we're both so confused and caught up in the passion between us' speech. Alec had seen enough glimpses of cheesy romance movies to know where this was headed. Although he had it in him to give her one of his lines, he really didn't want to. He was hoping that maybe he'd been wrong about this whole thing, that she didn't plan on dressing up and eating at a nice place to discuss _this_. Of course, it didn't seem like Maxie to ever _plan _on dressing up. Come to think of it, the last time he'd seen her in a dress, she'd told him that he would never again find himself in the position he was right now- seeing Max wear a dress.

"I thought you said I'd never see you in a dress again," he tried to tease her. His response was a stern and serious look from Max. Clearly, she wanted to talk about whatever was 'going on' between them. Alec tried not to groan out loud or visibly show the mood killer that she'd just hit him with, and instead stared at up at her with a face of as much anticipation as he could muster up given his true feeling of what she'd just said.

Max eyed the sudden tension that had clearly come over Alec. It made her suddenly uncomfortable as well. _What the hell is he all bothered about?_, she wondered.

"Well?" she said to him, beckoning him to respond. _Damnit! He can't shut the hell up half the time, and now that I want him to say something he won't open his big mouth!_

"Right," he said, pretending to understand and agree with her completely, though he wasn't sure what he was agreeing to exactly. "Something is going on between us," he repeated with an unreadable expression. He started to nod, thinking of what to say next.

"Don't you notice a connection?" she continued, trying to get him to help her figure things out.

_Oh, hell no!_, he thought to himself. _Here it goes! _Alec knew that he'd been trained to give people what they wanted, but for the life of him, he couldn't think of what to say to her. "A connection," he repeated with a nod. Again he was drawing a total blank.

"Exactly!" Max said, relieved that he apparently understood. "So what's the deal?"

Alec continued his nodding. "So what's the deal," he repeated.

"Alec!" Max said, suddenly realizing he had no idea what she was talking about.

Alec gave her an innocent look. "What?"

Max threw her hands into the air in frustration. "Nevermind."

"What?"

"Nothing. Just, I guess I'm going crazy!" She shook her head at her own bizarre feelings. She had thought that Alec felt the same way. Apparently, she was only imagining his reactions. He was just like any other guy. There was nothing more to it. She stood up abruptly, apparently about to leave.

"What?" he asked again, totally lost with what had just happened. _This woman is driving me nuts!_, he thought. One minute she was giving him the googly eyes and kissing him and more. The next she was abandoning him in the middle of the night! _Then she asks me out on a date, but _I'm _the one paying, then when I think she's finally having a good time, she gets up to leave!_ It was seriously insane. Max was probably the one woman that he just couldn't figure out for the life of him. He had thought that a kiss would completely take her, but now it seemed kissing him was the furthest thing from her desires at the moment.

Alec reached up without thinking to grab her arm as she stepped away to leave. She immediately turned to his touch and stared at him again with eyes of desire.

_What the hell?_, Alec thought, seeing her reaction. "Max," he said in a serious tone. "What is going on?"

"What do you notice about me?" Max asked him, a question that seemed altogether too insecure to be coming from the Max that he knew. It wasn't an insecure question at all, though. Max was wondering if his connection to her was like her own to him, something that seemed too strong, sudden, and out of character to be natural. Something that Max suspected Manticore had somehow planted into the 2 of them.

The thought had crossed Max's mind more than once, noticing both transgenic's reactions to the other. Max for one didn't believe in 'soulmates', so how else could she explain what was going on? She knew the idea was crazy, though. If Alec didn't see things the way she did, she would be resigned to believe she had totally lost her mind.

Alec swallowed, trying to think of an appropriate answer. She would surely leave if he opened his mouth again. _I'm a guy, what the hell do you _think _I notice?_

"I mean…" she continued, noticing that he didn't quite know what she wanted to know exactly, "Why did you come tonight?"

"Because you asked me to," Alec answered honestly.

"And why did you break out of Manticore?" Max asked him. It was the 2nd time the question had been thrown at him.

"Because…" he started, trying to remember what he'd been thinking that day. "Because…" he paused. He wanted to tell her it was because he wanted to be free, enjoy making his own decisions. But he knew that wasn't the truth. He found himself asking the same question, if he hadn't broken out to be free, then why the hell had he? "I really don't know," he admitted, "I just did it."

"But why?!" Max repeated, trying to find some answers.

"Because… I don't know!" he repeated, "I… saw you, and I just, I don't know. I wanted to find out…" he trailed off, realizing that what he was about to say would make him sound like a stalker or something. _Am I a freakin stalker?_, he thought worriedly, knowing that whatever chances he had with Max would surely be ruined if she thought he had some unexplainable obsession with her.

"Alec," she began, latching her hands into his for focus as well as the comforting feeling it gave her, "I can't stop thinking about you, okay. I'm wondering if Manticore did something to us."

Alec had to take a moment to process her theory of what was going on between the two of them. He didn't want to accept it, but really, it made sense, the only thing of the whole day that seemed to. But he didn't want to admit it. If his concern and need for Max was something Manticore did to him, it meant that he'd broken out for nothing. He was still their dutiful little soldier. Even his desires weren't his own, if what she was saying were true.

"Like what?" he asked, "You escaped when you were 9. If that's the truth, they had to have been planning this for a long time. And for what purpose?"

"Alec, they were creating an army of soldiers. Is it any wonder they would have wanted us to…help them create that army?" she forced herself to say.

"What?" Alec asked, "Like, we were paired off? Part of our DNA includes the purpose of...breeding?"

* * *

a/n: Yes! An ending is finally in sight! I apologize for making this story ridiculously long with regard to the number of chaps! What can I say, it was my first real fic, so I didn't quite grasp the concept of chapter lengths and also I admit I put a few unnecessary plot twists in there that could have taken less chapters than I used.

Thanks so much for reading this, sticking with it, and your thoughts and reviews! Even if you have an argument or something that didn't strike you as realistic or true to the character, or it just rubbed you the wrong way, I appreciate you telling me... how else could I improve my writing for next time? I don't put demands on people that I won't update without a set amount of reviews, but they certainly do help to motivate me!

See you next chap!


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